UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


'OUT    LEAPED    ROGUE. « 


THE 


YOUNG   MOOSE  HUNTERS. 


A  BACKWOODS-BOY'S   STORY. 


I1Y 


C.   A.    STEPHENS, 


AUTHOR  OF  "KNOCKABOUT  CLUB  IN  THE  WOODS,"  "KNOCKABOUT 
CLUB  ALONG  SHORE,"  "  CAMPING-OUT  STORIES,"  ETC. 


FULLY  ILLUSTRATED. 


'  BOSTON: 
ESTES     AND     LAURIAT, 

299-305  WASHINGTON  STREET. 
1882. 


Copyright,  18S2, 
BY  C.  A.  STEVENS. 


rzv 


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CONTENTS 


CHAP.  i.  THREE  TEN  CENT  "SCRIPT,"  &c 7 

"  2.  OFF  FOR  THE  LAKES,  &c 14 

"  3.  OUR  NIGHT  IN  THE  "NOTCH,"  &c 24 

"  4.  STARTING  UP  THE  UMBAGOG,  &c.          .       .        .  32 

"  5.  AN  EARLY  BREAKFAST,  &c 41 

"  6.  A  CROOKED  RIVER,  &c.           ...*..  48 

"  7.  A  DESOLATE  DWELLING,  &c 60 

"  8.  FARR  LABORS  AT  KEEL-HAULING,  &c.        ...  68 

"  9.  No  DINNER. —  THE  FIR  FOREST,  &c.         ...  79 

"  10.  IN  JOLLY  SPIRITS,  &c.           87 

"  n.  "ON  TO  PARMACHENEE,"  &c. 99 

"  12.  A  TOUGH  DAY'S  WORK,  &c 109 

"  13.  WE  FINISH  SACKING  SUPPLIES,  &c 116 

"  14.  TRAPPING  IN  EARNEST,  &c 127 

"  15.  WH  HIDE  OUR  FUR,  &c 138 

"  16.  FARR  SMELLS  SMOKE,   &c 149 

"  17.  WATCHING  FOR  DEER,  &c 155 

"  18.  WE  TAKE  UP  OUR  BEAVER  TRAPS,  &c.    .       .       .163 

"  19.  A  NIGHT  LONG  TO  BE  REMEMBERED,  &c.        .        .  168 

"  20.  A  GLOOMY  PROSPECT,  &c 178 

"  21.  A  POOR  CAMP  FIRE,  &c .185 


4  CONTENTS. 

PACK 

CHAP.  22.    A  TRIP  TO  BOSE-BUCK  COVE,  &c 188 

"     23.    THE  LITTLE  RIFLE  GONE,   &c 199 

"     24.    OUR  NIGHT  WATCHES,  &c. 206 

"     25.    MOOSE  STEAKS,  &c 220 

"     26.  A  Muss. — THOSE  TEA  GROUNDS,  &c.      .        .        .    229 

"     27.    AN  INDIAN  SUMMER,  &c 236 

"     28.    FRED  LAID  UP,  &c 250 

"     29.    THE  HUNGRY  MAN  AGAIN,  &c 264 

"     30.    A  HEAVY  SNOW-STORM,  &c 273 

"     31.  FEARS  FOR  THE  FISH-BOX,  &c.         .        .       .       .281 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PACK 

OUT  LEAPED  ROGUE Frontispiece 

"THE  YOUNG  MOOSE  HUNTERS" ,  n 

SCREW-AUGUR  FALLS 19 

THE  SLEEPING  SENTINEL 24 

LAKE  UMBAGOG 32 

"  Now  FOR  IT  !  OVER  WITH  YOU  ! " 35 

IT  MADE  A  TREMENDOUS  REPORT 46 

IT  WAS  THE  CHIMNEY 64 

THE  CARRY 74 

"Hi!  Hi!  Hi!" 90 

WE   WALKED   STEADILY   UP IOI 

CARRYING  THE  BATTEAU no 

PARMACHENEE  LAKE 119 

THE  MARTIN  IN  THE  TRAP 136 

HAULING  THE  MOOSE  DOWN  THE  BROOK 148 

FARR'S  "CHANCE  SHOT" 158 

"  LOOK  OUT  !    HE  MAY  MAKE  A  DIVE  AT  us  ! "  .     .    .  165 

"AFYARSTAR!"     . 169 

SCOTT'S  BIRCH-BARK  JACKET 181 


6  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

"  HALT,  THERE  !" 195 

FRED  AIMED  AT  THE  BACK  OF  THE  MOOSE'S  HEAD    .  216 

IN   TIME   TO   SEE    FARR  DIVE  IN  AT  THE    "  SHEEP-HOLE  "  226 

"  UNDER  THE  TREE  HERE  " 232 

"  FELLOWS,  I  'VE  BEEN  MORE  THAN    Two    HUNDRED 

MILES!" 243 

PUNCHED  OUT 252 

"  MOON  TYKES" 268 

A  SPOTTED  TROUT 274 

,  IT  CAME  OUT  QUIVERING  AND  STRUGGLING     ....  277 

EN  ROUTE  FOR  HOME 283 


MOOSE-HUNTERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Three  Ten-cent  Scrips.— The  Lexicon. — Latin  and  Poverty.  —  Seb"- 
made  Men.  —  "Something  Must  be  Done!"  —  Sixty  Lines  ti 
Virgil.  —  The  Logging  Swamp.  —  Fred  BartietL  —  Parmacheaee 
Lake.  —  A  Trapping  Scheme.  —  Moose,  Deer,  and  Trout.  —  Prep- 
aration.—The  Little  Rifle. 

MY  chum  took  out  three  greasy,  tattered  ten-cent 
"scrips." 

"My  whole  pile!"  said  he,  smoothing  them  out  on  the 
bare  table-leaf.  "All  I've  got  in  the  world, — and  this  I  owe 
you,  old  fellow."  And  the  writer  of  this  narrative,  dejectedly 
watching  him  from  the  other  side  of  the  table,  was  not  in  a 
condition  to  deny  the  debt. 

"  No  matter  about  it  this  morning,  Scott,"  I  said,  with  a 
sense  of  magnanimity.  "  I've  got  twenty-five  cents  left,  yet. 
Besides,  the  Lexicon  is  mine,  you  know." 

"Yes,"  said  Scott,  brightening  a  little;  "that's  good  for 
two  dollars,  any  day." 

Then  we  mused. 


8  THREE   TEN-CENT  SCRIPS. 

A  glance  at  us  there,  in  our  forlorn  little  room,  would 
have  told  the  reader  what  we  were ;  a  couple  of  impover- 
ished youngsters  —  students  for  the  time  being  at  the 
village  academy  —  working  every  way  to  wrest  an  educa- 
tion from  Poverty's  grim  hands. 

Ah !  those  impecunious,  starveling  school-days  of  ours  ! 
Thanks  to  Providence,  and  the  steady  revolution  of  the 
earth,  they  are  gone,  —  forever,  I  hope.  For  one,  I  have 
no  desire  to  get  them  back. 

America,  meaning  the  United  States,  is  a  great 
country  for  self-made  men,  so  called.  Our  people  rather 
dote  on  that  sort  of  man.  It  is  a  nice  topic  to  fire  the 
juvenile  mind  with,  this  being  a  self-made  man.  When 
the  average  poor  boy  comes  to  try  for  it,  he  is  apt  to  find 
it  a  stern  task. 

To  fight  his  way  against  every  thing,  even  hunger  itself, 
is  doubtless  an  indication  of  pluck,  yet  is  it  any  thing  save 
a  pleasant  pastime  for  the  luckless  youth  who  gives  the 
indication. 

That  little  upstairs  room,  with  its  one  window,  bare 
floor  and  rusty  stove ;  its  two  crippled  chairs  and  starved 
little  cupboard,  that  rarely  could  show  more  than  half  a 
dry  loaf  of  wheat  bread  and  a  pint  jug  of  molasses ;  its 
unpainted,  uncovered  table,  on  which  lay  half  a  dozen 
second-hand  text-books  of  Virgil,  Caesar,  Xenophon, — 
all  intimately  associated  with  a  certain  void  within  the 
waistband :  well,  it  is  not  quite  an  enjoyable  recollection, 
though  a  very  vivid  one.  Those  were  times  that  tired 


LATIN   AND    POVERTY.  9 

not  only  our  souls,  but  our  stomachs  as  well.  And  with 
youngsters  of  fifteen  or  thereabouts  the  stomach  pleads 
strongly. 

To  offset  all  these  mortifications  of  the  flesh,  we  had 
before  us  the  grand  design  of  fitting  for  college,  beyond 
which  lay  the  great  glowing  future,  shining  with  profes- 
sional honors,  and  the  bright  aureole  of  fame. 

How  many  young  Americans  does  ambition  thus  spur 
to  a  long  and  sometimes  fruitless  struggle  for  higher  and 
better  things !  Every  college  in  the  land  is  strongly  rep- 
resented by  those  who  could  have  well  understood  our 
case  that  morning;  though  I  honestly  hope  there  are  few 
who  were  ever  quite  so  badly  off. 

Presently  the  academy  bell  rang,  and  we  hurried  off  to 
recite  our  sixty  lines  of  Virgil. 

But  the  grave  and  pressing  questions  of  finance  that 
had  obtruded  themselves  so  imperatively  upon  our  atten- 
tion, soon  recurred  ;  they  were  not  to  be  put  off.  Rather 
they  had  been  put  off  till  the  last  moment  already. 

"  Something  must  be  done,"  said  Scott.  "  Right  off, 
too.  Here  we  are  —  only  fifty-five  cents  —  and  that  Lexi- 
con." 

The  Latin  Lexicon  (Andrews  and  Stoddards')  I  had 
bought  at  the  opening  of  the  term  ;  five  precious  hard- 
earned  dollars  had  gone  for  it:  five  of  the  twenty-seven  in 
my  pocket  on  the  last  day  of  August,  earned  at  sweaty  toil 
1  haying '  by  the  day. 

"  I  suppose  I  can  get  a  school  to  teach,  up  in  Newry, 


10  THE   LOGGING   SWAMP. 

this  winter,"  Scott  observed,  at  length.  "  I  have  partly 
had  the  promise  of  it.  But  the  pay  is  only  seventeen  dol- 
lars a  month,  and  it  is  but  for  seven  weeks.  That  would 
not  be  worth  waiting  for." 

For  my  own  part,  I  had  not  even  this  resource  in  view. 
The  most  of  School  Committees  would  have  deemed  us  too 
young  for  pedagogues;  and  so  we  were. 

Nor  was  it  of  any  use  to  go  home  —  a  few  miles  out  of 
the  village.  Our  folks  were  not  able  to  assist  us.  In- 
deed, if  any  assisting  were  done,  it  must  come  from  us  to 
them. 

"  We  shall  have  to  shoulder  our  axes  and  go  into  the 
logging-swamp,"  I  exclaimed,  at  last.  "  No  other  way. 
Twenty-five  dollars  a  month  and  board.  It's  hard  and  it's 
low ;  but  there's  nothing  else  —  for  us." 

"And  live  in  an  old  lousy  shanty  all  winter  long,  with 
a  crew  of  profane,  drunken,  tobacco-chewing  fellows ! " 
groaned  Scott.  "  Such  company  degrades  one.  We 
should  come  out  next  spring  rough  as  files,  ourselves.  I 
don't  like  it ! " 

No  more  did  I ;  yet  we  must  do  something.  Scott  ad- 
mitted that  there  was  no  other  way  in  which  we  could 
earn  so  much ;  but  he  shrank  from  the  companionship  of 
loggers.  Before  the  war,  when  his  father  was  alive,  Scott's 
family  had  been  in  better  circumstances.  I  call  him  Scott 
from  long  habit;  his  name  was  Henry  Scott  Whitman. 

All  that  day  we  were  in  perplexity,  and  studied  but  idly 
The  question  of  the  morning  pre-occupied  us. 


THE    YOUNG    MOOSE    HUNTERS. 


PARMACHENEE   LAKE.  II 

"Let's  go  over  and  talk  with  Fred,"  Scott  proposed 
that  evening. 

Fred  Bartlett  was  a  classmate  and  kindred  spirit,  in  like 
circumstances :  that  is  to  say,  he  had  nothing  save  what 
his  own  hands  got  for  him.  Fred  was  seventeen.  His 
home  was  in  Andover,  Me.  (one  of  the  northern  towns  of 
Oxford  County).  This  was  his  second  term  at  our  acad- 
emy. He  had  worked  at  river-driving,  in  the  logging- 
swamps,  and  during  the  previous  summer  had  been  a 
guide  to  parties  from  the  city  camping-out  about  the 
Umbagog  Lakes.  A  downright  good  fellow  was  Fred, 
wiry  and  tough  as  a  rat,  and  full  of  a  rough  worldly  wis- 
dom, born  of  hard  knocks. 

We  knew  him  to  be  nearly  out  of  funds,  and  on  the  verge 
of  some  expedient  for  raising  more. 

So  we  went  over  to  talk  with  Fred. 

"What  are  you  going  into  this  fall?"  Scott  asked,  after 
some  preliminary  conversation. 

"Well,"  said  Fred,  "I  have  about  concluded  to  start  up 
the  Magalloway  for  Parmachenee  Lake." 

"What  doing?"  we  asked. 

"  Trapping ;  and  I  shall  hunt  some." 

"  Ever  up  there  ?  "  Scott  inquired. 

"  No ;  but  I've  heard  all  about  it.  Good  place.  I  calcu- 
late I'm  sure  of  a  hundred  dollars  there." 

"You  do  ! "  we  exclaimed. 

"  I  do,"  said  Fred,  confidently. 

"And  then,"  he  added,  after  a  pause,  "if  I  don't  find 


12  MOOSE,    DEER,    AND   TROUT. 

mink  and  otter,  why,  I'll  dig  a  big  pack  of  spruce  gum  :  that 
sells  well,  now." 

"  Going  alone  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  I've  nobody  engaged  for  certain." 

"  But  what  will  you  live  on  up  there  ?  "  Scott  demanded. 
"What  will  you  do  for  grub  to  eat? " 

"Oh,  I'll  find  enough  to  eat.  I  shall  take  along  some 
flour  and  meat.  Then  there  are  plenty  of  deer  and  moose 
and  trout  up  there.  I'll  live  like  a  king,  I  tell  you." 

Then  we  talked  of  other  matters. 

At  last,  as  we  were  going  out,  Scott  said,  "  I  suppose  you 
wouldn't  care  to  take  us  along  with  you,  Fred  ?  " 

Fred  reflected  a  moment ;  then  he  said  that  he  should  like 
to  have  us  go  well  enough,  if  we  would  like  to  go. 

Yet  we  presumed  he  did  not  care  much  for  our  company ; 
in  fact,  Scott  had  asked  him  more  in  jest  than  in  earnest. 

The  next  morning,  however,  Fred  asked  us  if  we  thought 
of  going,  and  gave  us  a  more  cordial  invitation. 

Then  we  began  to  consider  the  matter  more  seriously, 
and,  indeed,  talked  of  little  else  between  ourselves  for  the 
next  two  days.  It  seemed  a  wild  project,  yet  in  want  of 
any  thing  else  to  do  we  were  much  disposed  to  try  it ;  and 
at  length  we  told  Fred  definitely  that  we  should  go. 

On  that,  he  set  the  day  for  us  to  meet  him  at  Upton,  at 
the  foot  of  Lake  Umbagog,  and  at  once  started  for  home  to 
get  ready. 

Being  now  fairly  in  for  the  expedition,  we  began  to  make 
our  own  arrangements. 


PREPARATION.  13 

We  settled  the  rent  of  our  bare  room  for  the  week  — 
forty  cents. 

We  sold  the  Lexicon  for  two  dollars  and  a  half;  also  a 
Common.  School  Arithmetic  (Greenleafs) ,  a  Smythe's  Alge- 
bra and  a  Cooper's  Virgil  for  three  dollars  more.  (It  was 
no  uncommon  thing  with  us  in  those  days  to  dispose  of  our 
books  —  at  ruinous  discounts  —  toward  the  end  of  a  term.) 

I  swapped  my  best  (tweed)  coat  at  the  store  for  two  old 
army  blankets. 

Scott  made  a  similar  exchange  for  two  rubber  blankets. 

It  got  out  that  we  were  going  moose  hunting !  Everybody 
poohed  at  us;  and  our  friends  croaked  dismally,  —  but  in 
vain. 

We  bought  ammunition,  sparingly.  Scott  had  an  old 
double-barrelled  gun  that  had  been  his  father's ;  and  a  young 
sporting  man  in  the  village  —  whose  name  I  will  not  need- 
lessly drag  into  this  Iliad  of  our  fortunes  —  loaned  us,  by 
his  own  offer,  a  little  breach-loading  rifle,  the  skeleton  stock 
of  which  could  be  taken  off  when  desired.  It  was  of  the 
pattern  popularly  known  as  "The  Hunter's  Pet."  And  with 
it  he  let  us  take  two  boxes  of  metallic  cartridges.  This  was 
a  windfall,  indeed. 

Another  friend  in  need  gave  Scott  a  pair  of  rubber  boots. 
Vainly  I  wished  for  a  similar  friend. 

By  Saturday  night  of  that  week  we  had  completed  our 
slender  outfit.  We  were  to  meet  Fred  at  Upton  Monday 
night  or  Tuesday  morning  of  the  following  week. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Off  for  the  Lakes.— A  Ten-mile  Walk.  — A  Short  Ride  by  RaiL  — 
Bethel. — $2.50  to  Upton.  —  "Frogging  it" — The  Androscoggin. 
—Heavy  Packs.  —Bear  River  Tavern.  —  Wild  Scenery.  —  Screw 
Auger  Falls.  —  "  The  Jail."  —  Grafcon  Notch.  —  Our  Night  Camp. 

WE  started  at  six  o'clock  Monday  morning,  October 
3rd,  and  walked  ten  miles  to  "  Locke's,"  a  station 
on  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad.  Our  packs  were  heavy :  but 
we  were  fresh  then,  and  full  of  vim,  —  to  quote  from  our  late 
Latin  exercises.  Bethel  was  the  next  point  to  make,  dis- 
tant five  miles ;  and  as  it  is  on  the  railroad,  we  concluded  to 
indulge  ourselves  in  the  luxury  of  a  twenty-five-cent  ride,  by 
way  of  saving  up  our  strength. 

The  Canada  express  train  whistled  in,  ten  minutes  after, 
and  was  signalled  to  stop  for  our  benefit,  —  Locke's  not 
being  one  of  its  advertised  stations.  We  took  passage  for 
Bethel  with  our  packs  and  guns,  where  we  arrived  fifteen 
minutes  later.  From  the  depot  we  caught  sight  of  the  high 
wooded  mountains  of  the  northern  lake  region,  looming  up 
grandly  across  the  Androscoggin  valley.  Adown  their  long 
slopes  rested  the  soft  autumn  haze ;  and  the  rich  tints  of  the 
foliage  gave  to  the  whole  country  a  warm,  dreamy  look, 


OFF    FOR   THE   LAKES.  .        15 

which  I  recall  with  a  sense  of  enjoyment,  though  our  minds 
were  intent  on  more  practical  matters. 

Our  next  point  was  Upton,  on  Lake  Umbagog,  distant 
twenty-six  miles,  where  we  were  to  meet  Fred  with  his  boat. 
From  Bethel  to  Upton  there  is  a  stage  twice  a  week.  This 
much  we  had  learned  and  had  come  on  the  right  day  for  it. 
We  had  thought  the  fare  would  not  be  more  than  fifty  cents 
apiece,  and  were  prepared  to  give  that.  Judge,  then,  of  our 
dismay  when  we  were  told  that  the  charge  was  two  dollars 
and  ffty  cents  per  head !  This  announcement  struck  us 
speechless.  We  drew  back  into  the  depot  to  take  counsel  of 
each  other.  Meanwhile  the  stage  drove  off. 

"Well,  let  it  go!"  exclaimed  Scott,  gazing  evilly  after 
the  departing  vehicle.  "We  never  could  have  afforded  it. 
Two  dollars  and  a  half !  Only  think  of  it !  " 

"But  what  shall  we  do?"  said  I,  with  a  despairing 
glance  at  our  heavy  packs. 

"  Do !  why,  we've  got  old  Shank's  mare  left  us ! "  ex- 
claimed my  stout-hearted  comrade.  "If  a  fellow  hasn't 
money,  he  must  frog  it,  —  that's  all." 

But  to  frog  it  twenty-six  miles  and  carry  a  pack  of  thirty- 
five  pounds  and  a  gun,  is  a  severe  experience  —  for  most 
boys  of  sixteen.  There  was  now  no  help  for  it,  however. 
We  summoned  up  our  resolution,  but  first  sat  down  on 
the  wooden  settle  in  the  depot  and  ate  a  substantial 
lunch  of  the  crackers  and  cheese  we  had  taken  along 
with  us  from  home  that  morning;  thereby  lightening  our 
packs  a  little  and  stowing  the  weight  where  it  could  be 
more  comfortably  carried. 


1 6  A   TEN-MILE   WALK. 

This  done  we  slung  the  packs  across  our  backs,  and 
taking  our  guns  in  our  hands,  set  off.  It  was  rather 
warm.  By  the  time  we  had  crossed  the  long  covered 
bridge  over  the  Androscoggin,  we  were  in  a  lively  per- 
spiration, and  drew  up  to  take  a  "  rest "  in  the  shade  of 
the  farther  end  of  it.  There  had  been  a  heavy  rain  a 
few  days  previously.  The  river  was  high  and  had  only 
the  day  before  flooded  the  road  at  both  ends  of  the 
bridge,  which  is  elevated  high  above  the  stream  to  with- 
stand the  tremendous  spring  freshets.  The  Androscoggin 
is  the  outlet  of  all  those  northern  lakes  toward  which  we 
had  now  set  our  faces.  At  this  place  it  is  near  two  hun- 
dred yards  in  width,  with  a  swift,  black,  arrowy  current 
surging  against  the  strong  granite  piers.  In  seasons  of 
drouth,  however,  the  Androscoggin  can  sometimes  be 
forded. 

It  is  a  pieasant  road  beyond  the  bridge.  Many  well- 
to-do  farmers  live  along  the  intervals.  Their  residences 
evince  good  taste  and  considerable  wealth.  The  hills 
and  slopes,  on  the  west  and  north  of  these  farms,  abound 
wkh  sugar  maples.  And  all  these  were  now  in  their 
autumn  glories  of  red  and  gold.  The  folks  were  getting 
in  their  corn,  load  after  load  of  dry  shocks ;  and  as  we 
trudged  on,  we  caught  many  a  glimpse  of  cosy  husking- 
parties  —  merry  boys  and  rosy  girls  —  through  the  open 
barn  doors. 

Steeling  our  hearts  against  these  alluring  pictures,  we 
huiried  forward,  crossed  the  bridge  over  Sunday  River,  a 


THE   ANDROSCOGGIN.  17 

tributary  of  the  Androscoggin,  and  a  little  later  the  Bear 
River  bridge,  and  entered  the  town  of  Newry  —  a  region 
chiefly  noted  for  its  snow  squalls,  which  are  said  to  begin 
early  in  September. 

The  scenery  had  grown  wilder.  The  mountains  seem 
nearer,  higher  and  more  rugged.  The  road  leads  up  the 
narrow  valley  of  Bear  River. 

But  I  must  not  omit  a  little  incident  which  associated 
Bear  River  bridge  with  that  day's  tramp.  Just  across  the 
stream,  and  at  the  very  entrance  to  the  covered  bridge, 
there  is  a  little  weather-beaten  tavern  that  has  evidently 
seen  all  of  its  best  days  and  the  most  of  its  worst  ones. 
Every  thing  about  it  bespoke  neglect,  decay  and  shiftless- 
ness.  Our  packs  oppressed  us ;  and  we  sat  down  on  the 
steps  of  the  tavern  to  take  breath.  Presently  the  land- 
lord came  out.  He  was  a  rather  fat  jug-shaped  man  of 
sixty,  or  rising;  he  smelled  of  liquor  and  was  evidently 
well-soaked  with  it.  Yet  in  the  corner  of  his  light  gray 
eye  there  dwelt  a  gleam  of  good-humor,  a  lingering  gleam, 
that  even  the  blight  of  alcohol  could  not  quite  kill  out. 
He  addressed  us  cheerily,  and  it  took  not  many  explana- 
tions on  our  part  to  make  him  fully  understand  our  case 
and  the  hardships  before  us.  And  he  did  not  discourage 
us  as  everybody  else  had  done.  He  chuckled  and  told 
us  to  "keep  a  stiff  upper  lip." 

"  Oh,  you'll  sup  sorrow  and  rue  the  day  you  started,  a 
good  many  times,  I'll  warrant  ye,"  he  chirped.  "But  if 
you  stick  and  hang  you'll  bring  back  a  clever  pack  o* 
furs,  like  's  not." 


1 8  BEAR   RIVER    TAVERN. 

Then  he  limped  back  into  the  tavern  and  soon  came 
out  with  a  pewter  pitcher. 

"Take  a  swig  o'  this,"  said  he.  "It'll  wash  the  dust 
out  o'  yer  throats.  Oh,  it's  nothing  but  cider ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, seeing  us  draw  back  a  little.  "  Nothing  but 
elderberry  cider.  I  don't  keep  any  thing  stronger.  Law 
won't  let  me.  'Twon't  hurt  ye." 

We  first  tasted  it,  then  took  a  few  swallows.  It  was  a 
very  pleasant  drink:  sweet  elderberry  juice  sweetened  and 
lightly  fermented ;  not  so  thick  and  strong  as  elderberry 
wine,  nor  yet  so  smart  as  apple  cider.  I  suppose  the  old 
fellow  thought  it  was  the  best  thing  he  could  offer  us ; 
and  I  am  not  sure  whether  it  injured  our  morale  as  Good 
Templars  or  not.  We  thanked  him  and  shouldered  our 
packs. 

"  Call  when  you  come  back  along  if  you  come  this  way, 
and  let  me  know  how  you've  made  it,"  was  his  parting 
salutation  to  us. 

"  Well,  all  old  drunkards  are  not  monsters ;  and  I  sup- 
pose that  most  everybody  has  some  good  in  them,  some- 
where," Scott  remarked  as  we  walked  on. 

Consider  it  as  I  will,  I  never  can  feel  any  thing  but  a 
kindly  sympathy  for  the  old  soaker  who  keeps  the  Bear 
River  tavern :  so  powerful  is  a  kind  word  when  a  boy  is 
tired  and  half  discouraged. 

We  went  on  up  the  valley.  Off  to  the  west  towered  the 
"  Sunday  River  Whitecap ; "  to  the  east  rose  the  "  Great 
Ledge,"  a  bare,  rough  peak,  cone-shaped  and  of  great 


SCREW    AUGUR    FALLS. 


WILD   SCENERY.  19 

height.  The  river  is  here  a  mere  torrent,  broken  by  fre- 
quent falls,  and  rushing  along  a  bed  full  of  boulders  and 
ledges.  The  road  in  many  places  was  half  washed  away 
by  the  recent  flood  ;  and  high  up  amid  the  alder  branches 
were  lodged  grass  and  leaves,  showing  to  what  a  height 
the  stream  had  risen.  Often  after  heavy  rains  the  stage 
cannot  get  up  for  the  water ;  there  is  no  stream  in  New 
England  more  subject  to  great  and  marvellously  rapid 
rise. 

Still  wilder  and  narrower  grew  the  valley.  The  dark 
green  twin  peaks  of  Mt.  Saddleback  were  directly  ahead 
of  us ;  while  the  loftier  side  of  Speckled  Mountain  shut  us 
in  on  the  west.  A  single  narrow  gorge  opened  before  us. 

"This  must  be  'Grafton  Notch,'"  said  Scott;  and  so  it 
proved. 

There  are  few  localities  in  New  England  that  for  wild 
scenery  can  compare  with  this  famous  "  Notch,"  through 
which  Bear  River  foams  and  roars  to  its  own  confused 
and  hollow  echoes. 

About  a  mile  farther  up  the  gorge  we  came  to  a  very 
singular  cataract,  or  rather  canon,  called  "  Screw  Auger 
Falls."  It  was  but  a  few  yards  from  the  road ;  and  we 
laid  down  our  packs  to  examine  it.  An  extensive  granite 
ledge  fills  the  whole  bottom  of  the  gorge ;  and  through 
this  the  stream  has  worn  a  mighty  auger-shaped  channel, 
which  is  of  itself  a  curiosity  well  worth  a  visit.  This 
miniature  canon  is  about  a  hundred  feet  in  length,  and 
so  narrow  that  at  some  points  one  can  leap  across  it ; 


20  SCREW-AUGER    FALLS. 

while  its  depth  toward  the  lower  end  cannot  be  less  than 
sixty  or  seventy  feet :  —  a  chasm  grooved  out  by  the  rush- 
ing waters,  and  smooth  as  if  polished  with  sand-paper. 
Its  vast  spirals  probably  suggested  the  name  of  Screw- 
Auger. 

Its  sides  disclose  some  remarkable  veins  of  white  quartz, 
with  which  there  seems  to  be  intermingled  other  minerals, 
which  we  had  not  the  time  to  examine ;  but  which  we  con- 
fidentially recommend  to  mineralogists  as  well  worth  their 
notice. 

As  an  example  of  the  wearing  power  of  running  \\fater. 
these  falls  are  indeed  remarkable. 

"  There's  a  good  ten  thousand  years'  work  ! "  exclaimed 
Scott,  peeping  cautiously  down  the  chasm.  "  The  water 
didn't  wear  this  hole  in  one  century,  nor  five  !  " 

It  was  now  four  o'clock,  and  the  sun  had  already  gone 
behind  the  great  mountain  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream. 
There  is  a  little  shed  on  the  side  of  the  road  opposite  the 
falls,  where  teams  have  been  hitched  up  to  rest. 

"  We  might  put  up  here  for  the  night,"  Scott  suggested. 

But  we  concluded  to  go  on. 

A  little  way  beyond  the  falls  another  curiosity  drew  our 
attention.  On  the  very  verge  of  the  road,  though  half 
hidden  by  the  shrubbery,  there  is  a  semi-circular  abyss 
known  locally  as  "  The  Jail,"  from  the  fact  that  there  is 
but  one  way  into  it,  which,  if  secured,  might  make  it  possi- 
ble to  use  it  as  a  place  of  confinement.  The  sides  are 
smooth  and  of  great  height.  It  would  be  quite  impossible  to 


"THE  JAIL."  21 

climb  out.  Formerly  the  river  ran  through  it  for  many  ages, 
till  it  wore  this  great  cavity.  But  an  earthquake,  or  perhaps 
its  own  wearing  waters,  have  now  given  it  a  new  channel 
some  rods  to  the  westward. 

After  a  peep  at  the  Jail,  we  went  on  again  for  a  mile  or 
more,  till  coming  to  where  some  belated  wanderers,  like  our- 
selves, perhaps,  had  made  a  little  bark  shed  near  the  road, 
we  decided  to  camp  for  the  night.  The  shed  had  not  been 
used  of  late ;  but  the  old  shake-down  of  hemlock  boughs  lay 
just  as  its  former  occupants  had  left  it.  It  felt  dry,  and  to 
our  tired  bodies,  looked  inviting.  Near  by  stood  the  flayed 
hemlocks,  from  whose  trunks  the  bark  had  been  stripped  to 
furnish  the  roof  of  the  shed.  While  I  unpacked  the  blankets, 
and  counted  out  five  crackers  apiece  for  our  supper,  Scott 
gathered  sticks  and  pulled  bark  from  a  neighboring  white 
birch.  Three  smutty  stones  and  several  old  brands  marked 
the  place  wheYe  our  predecessors  had  built  their  fire.  We 
followed  their  example,  and  soon  had  a  crackling  blaze.  Ah  ! 
what  so  cheery,  when  twilight  and  the  wilderness  are  about 
one,  as  the  red  gleam  and  cheerful  snapping  of  a  camp  fire  ! 
Blessings  on  the  man  who  struck  the  first  spark  of  fire,  —  be 
he  Prometheus  or  ugly  old  Vulcan  1 

In  the  light  of  our  fire,  which  gleamed  brighter  as  dusk  fell, 
we  ate  our  crackers  and  cheese,  then  gathered,  ere  darkness 
closed  in,  several  armfuls  of  wood,  to  last  through  the  night. 
The  stars  came  out.  The  night  was  clear,  with  the  sugges- 
tion of  a  frost.  A  very  small  new  moon  showed  itself  for  a 
few  minutes  on  the  wooded  crest  of  the  mountain,  then  went 


22  GRAFTON    NOTCH. 

behind  it,  leaving  it  not  perceptibly  darker.  We  sat  beneath 
the  shed  and  watched  the  sparks  darting  up,  and  the  slower 
wreath  of  black  smoke  rising  toward  the  stars,  momentarily 
clouding  their  silver  sparkle. 

Just  then  the  cry  of  some  animal  was  heard  from  the 
mountain  side  above  us.  It  was  not  loud  nor  startling,  but  a 
lonely  cry  of  discontent  or  hunger.  Such  sounds  impress 
one  strangely  in  the  forest  at  night.  We  listened  to  hear  it 
again,  and  soon  it  resounded  anew ;  rather  more  distinctly 
this  time,  or  else  it  was  because  we  were  hearkening  with 
intent  ears. 

"Do  you  know  what  that  is?"  Scott  asked. 

I  could  not  even  guess.  It  is  often  very  difficult  to  iden- 
tify animal  cries  heard  in  the  woods  at  night  time.  The 
forest  echoes  change  the  character  of  the  note.  This 
sounded  somewhat  like  a  man  shouting  rather  disconso- 
lately at  a  distance.  We  continued  to  hear  it,  at  intervals 
of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes.  But  it  did  not  alarm  us  much. 
We  gradually  grew  sleepy. 

"  Had  we  best  both  go  to  sleep  ?  "  queried  Scott. 

It  did  not  seem  just  right  to  do  so. 

"Tell  you  what  we  will  do,"  said  Scott,  at  length.  "You 
roll  up  and  go  to  sleep.  I'll  take  the  little  rifle,  and  sit 
leaned  back  against  the  side  of  the  shed.  I  won't  go  to 
sleep ;  but  I  can  sit  and  doze  till  one  or  two  o'clock.  Then 
I  will  wake  you,  and  you  can  take  your  turn  at  it.  It  will 
rest  a  fellow  almost  as  much  to  sit  so  as  it  would  to  lie 
down." 


OUR   NIGHT  CAMP.  33 

I  had  nothing  to  urge  against  this  arrangement,  and  was, 
in  truth,  very  glad  to  get  the  first  nap.  We  had  walked, 
carrying  our  packs,  not  less  than  twenty-four  miles  that  day. 
So  utterly  weary  had  I  become,  that  I  wrapped  my  two 
blankets  about  me,  and  despite  the  novelty  of  the  situation, 
was  soundly  asleep  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Our  Night  in  the  "Notch."— A  Drowsy  Sentinel.  —  Rather  Chilly.  — 
On  Again.  —  "  Moose  Caves."  —  Still  Wilder  Scenery.  —  In  Sight 
of  the  Umbagog.  —  We  meet  Fred.  —  His  Catamount  Story.  — 
Farrour  New  Partner.  —  "Spot" — Godwin  of  the  Lake  House. 
—  Our  Outfit  —  A  Siren  of  the  Lakes.  —  "  Canada  Plums." 

~T  IT  T  H ATEVER  went  on  about  our  camps,  and  what 
V  V  savage  eyes  may  have  stared  at  us  lying  there 
as  the  stars  moved  westward  and  set  behind  the  mountain 
wall,  is  no  part  of  my  story.  When  I  woke  it  was  broad 
daylight.  Indeed,  the  sun-rays  had  begun  to  glint  the  tree- 
tops.  So  profoundly  had  I  been  aslaep  that  it  was  several 
seconds  before  I  knew  "who  I  was  or  where  I  came 
from."  Scott  was  half  sitting  half  reclining  against  one 
of  the  stakes  that  supported  the  shed,,  his  head  rolled  on 
one  shoulder  and  his  mouth  open,  sound  asleep.  The 
little  rifle  had  slid  from  his  grasp,  and  lay  with  the  dew- 
drops  clinging  to  the  muzzle.  The  fire  had  long  gone  out. 
It  did  not  even  smoke.  Outside,  the  ground  and  the 
grass  in  the  road  were  frosty.  I  got  upon  my  feet,  feeling 
pretty  stiff  and  not  a  little  chilly.  Then  I  gave  my  recu- 
sant comrade  a  poke,  —  several  of  them.  He  started  with 
a  great  groan  of  discomfort.  It  was  with  difficulty  that 


THE    SLEEPING    SENTINEL. 


A   DROWSY   SENTINEL.  25 

he  got  his  neck  out  of  the  unnatural  position  it  had  held 
for  so  many  hours. 

"  You're  a  nice  fellow  to  keep  guard,"  I  exclaimed. 

Scott  winked  painfully. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  have  got  to  sleep ,"  said  he,  staring 
at  his  legs  and  at  the  dewy  rifle. 

It  looked  like  it. 

"  But  why  didn't  you  wake  me  ? "  said  he. 

"Why  didn't  I  wake  you!"  I  indignantly  repeated. 
"  That's  a  pretty  question  for  a  sentinel  to  ask !  " 

"  Well,  as  long  as  we're  all  right  this  morning,  there's  no 
great  harm  done,"  was  my  comrade's  philosophic  reflection. 

I  was  not  for  letting  him  off  so  easily,  but  contented 
myself  by  remarking  that  this  sort  of  thing  must  not  hap 
pen  again. 

We  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  rekindle  the  fire :  it  had 
got  so  late  —  how  late  we  were  uncertain,  for  Scott  had 
forgotten  to  wind  his  watch  the  night  before;  it  had  run 
down.  We  had  eight  crackers  left,  and  the  rinds  of  the 
cheese.  Hastily  devouring  these  refreshments,  we  took  a 
hearty  draught  from  a  little  rill  which  ran  across  a  ledge  a 
few  rods  away,  then  rolled  up  our  packs  and  went  on. 

In  a  few  minutes  we  were  in  the  narrowest  part  of  the 
Notch;  and  though  we  were  not  at  all  poetically  disposed 
this  morning,  yet  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery  compelled 
us  to  pause  frequently  to  gaze  up  at  the  overhanging  cliffs 
and  crags.  Bear  River,  now  dwindled  to  a  noisy  brook, 
brawls  and  murmurs  hoarsely  along  the  ravine.  The  road 


26  "MOOSE  CAVES." 

crosses  the  stream  as  many  as  six  times;  the  bridges  are 
of  logs,  covered  with  hemlock  boughs  and  earth.  At  one 
point  the  road  is  made  along  the  side  of  the  gorge,  which 
sinks  to  a  great  depth  below.  The  only  railing  beside  the 
wagon  track  is  a  log. 

"  Shouldn't  care  to  drive  a  skittish  horse  here,"  was 
Scott's  practical  observation,  as  we  looked  into  the  abyss 
beneath.  To  which  I  recollect  replying  that  I  only  wished 
we  had  a  horse  to  drive  :  for  the  packs  were  growing  fear- 
fully heavy  again. 

Near  this  place  there  is  another  wonderful  exhibition  of 
the  wear  of  the  water  through  a  ledge.  It  is  known  as 
"  Moose  Caves,"  from  the  circumstance  of  a  wounded 
moose  once  taking  refuge  in  the  cavern  which  the  stream 
has  worn.  Those  with  whom  I  have  spoken  concerning 
it,  say  that  it  is  more  wonderful  than  Screw-Auger  Falls 
even.  It  is  at  some  little  distance  from  the  road ;  we 
did  not  go  out  to  it. 

A  mile  farther  on  the  road  emerges,  from  the  Notch, 
disclosing  a  less  mountainous  country  to  the  northward, 
heavily  wooded  with  evergreens  chiefly.  The  ground 
here  begins  to  descend  toward  the  Umbagog.  Near  by 
are  the  headwaters  of  a  stream  which,  oddly  enough,  some 
settler  has  named  Cambridge  River.  There  are  clearings 
along  the  road.  On  one  of  the  barn  doors  we  saw  a  fresh 
bear  skin  stretched  and  nailed  to  dry.  Scott  wanted  to 
shoot  at  it,  but  was  deterred  by  the  suggestion  that  there 
mighf  be  somebody  husking  in  the  barn. 


WE   MEET    FRED.  2"J 

We  were  now  in  the  town  of  Grafton. 

We  followed  the  "  Cambridge  "  down  as  we  had  followed 
Bear  River  up,  and  about  one  o'clock  came  in  sight  of  the 
blue  Umbagog,  stretching  away  to  the  north-west  Before 
us  a  long  hill  led  down  to  the  white  "  Lake  House,"  which 
we  espied  on  the  very  shore.  The  sight  of  it  gave  us  new 
life.  We  re-shouldered  our  packs  and  hurried  down  the 
hill.  A  hundred  rods  from  the  tavern  we  saw  two  young 
fellows  and  a  dog  coming  to  meet  us. 

"  That's  Fred,  —  one  of  them !  "  Scott  exclaimed. 

There  was  no  doubt  of  it,  for  a  moment  later  that  worthy 
young  backwoodsman  gave  us  his  ordinary  salutation. 
"  Money !  "  he  shouted,  presenting  an  imaginary  revolver. 
"  Hands  up !  Drop  that  rifle !  " 

"You're  badly  sold  this  time!"  replied  Scott.  "If 
money's  what  you 're  after,  you've  stopped  the  wrong  party." 

That  was   but  a  grim  joke  —  too  true  to  be  pleasant. 

"We  will  have  some  money,  though,  if  there  is  any  fur 
round  these  lakes  !  "  cried  Fred.  "  But  why  in  the  world 
didn't  you  come  last  night?  Looked  for  you  till  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  Thought  that  catamount  down  in 
the  Notch  had  got  you,  sure  !  " 

"That  what? "said  I. 

"  Why,  that  catamount  down  there !  Haven't  you  heard 
about  him  ? " 

Certainly  we  had  not !  Scott  looked  rather  uneasily  at 
me.  Then  I  told  them  how  we  had  camped  there  in  the 
Notch  and  both  slept  like  logs. 


28  FARR   OUR   NEW  COMPANION. 

"  Well,  well ! "  exclaimed  Fred,  and  laughed  heartily. 
"  It's  a  wonder  he  had  not  gobbled  you  up  !  Folks  don't 
dare  go  through  there  nights,  lately." 

"  Is  that  true  ? "  exclaimed  Scott. 

"  Honest  true.  But  no  matter,  as  long  as  he  didn't  get 
ye.  This  long-legged  chap  here  (with  a  nod  toward  the 
stranger  youth)  is  going  into  partnership  with  us.  His 
name  is  Farr,  —  Charles  Henry  Farr  ;  and  this  quadruped 
is  his  dog.  Come  here,  Spot !  He  isn't  worth  any  thing 
for  small  game,  but  he  is  good  for  chewing  up  panthers, 
lions,  bears,  and  bug-bears." 

Farr  was  a  rather  tall,  frank-faced  fellow  of  seventeen 
or  thereabouts.  We  liked  him  at  sight ;  and  if  the  reader 
does  not,  it  will  be  our  fault,  not  his.  As  for  Spot,  he 
was  an  average  sized  dog,  black  and  white.  He  appeared 
remarkably  inoffensive,  and  did  not  look  like  a  dog  ad- 
dicted to  "  chewing  up  "  any  thing  livelier  than  a  crust  of 
bread. 

"We  shall  not  be  able  to  get  started  up  the  lake  to- 
day," said  Fred.  "  But  let's  go  to  the  house.  You  must 
be  hungry  —  and  tired." 

He  and  Farr  seized  upon  our  packs.  It  was  a  relief 
to  walk  without  their  weight. 

Landlord  Godwin,  of  the  Lake  House,  is  as  good  a 
host,  at  bottom,  as  lives  in  that  whole  region.  It  takes  a 
day  to  get  fairly  acquainted  with  him.  He  has  a  way  of 
hesitating  when  he  speaks  that  makes  a  stranger  feel  a 
little  uncertain  for  a  moment.  But  when  you  once  come 


GODWIN   OF   THE   LAKE   HOUSE.  29 

to  know  him,  you  know  a  good  fellow,  —  in  our  humble 
opinion.  His  table  is  a  very  enjoyable  one.  (A  person  is 
always  hungry  up  there.)  That  day  we  dined  off  the 
breasts  of  six  partridges:  there  were  other  eatables,  of 
course,  but  the  partridges  were  the  attraction  for  us. 
Perhaps  I  am  hasty  though  in  saying  that  the  birds  were 
the  attraction  for  all  of  us.  For  a  certain  black-eyed, 
raven-tressed  table-girl  took  Scott's  eyes  captive.  During 
our  stay  there  he  managed  to  get  up  a  speaking  acquain- 
tance with  her.  Afterwards  he  seemed  to  be  somewhat 
distressed  to  learn  that  this  siren  of  the  lakes  had  a 
"young  man"  whom  she  kept  happy  company  of  a 
Saturday  eve :  one  Llewellyn  Moody,  a  youthful  Atlas 
of  the  region,  with  whom  it  would  be  advisable  to  remain 
on  the  most  civil  terms. 

Fred  and  Farr  had  brought  with  them  and  bought  of 
Godwin  all  the  raw  provisions  that  they  deemed  neces- 
sary, together  with  a  complete  kit  of  camping-out 
utensils. 

(A  complete  kit  of  camping-out  comfortably  embraces 
more  than  would  at  first  thought  be  deemed  necessary. 
We  had,  I  remember,  a  kettle  for  making  pudding  and  bak- 
ing beans ;  a  kettle  for  heating  water ;  a  deep  frying-pan 
or  spider  with  a  very  long  handle,  —  three  feet,  —  such  as 
can  be  used  over  an  open  fire  without  burning  the  hands ; 
and  a  large  iron  baker-sheet  for  cooking  partridge  breasts 
and  biscuits.  Then  there  was  a  coffee-pot  and  a  tea-pot, 
half  a  dozen  tin  plates,  as  many  pint  dippers,  four  tin 


30  OUR   OUTFIT. 

spoons,  with  the  same  number  of  knives  and  forks,  a 
hatchet  and  an  axe.  There  were  also  two  butcher  knives 
for  cutting  meat,  one  a  sort  of  bowie  knife  with  a  dog's 
head  handle,  loaned  us  by  Godwin.  Add  to  these  an  old 
japanned  tin  powder-case  for  the  sugar,  a  bucket  for 
butter,  a  tin  box  for  coffee  and  another  for  the  tea. 

In  addition  to  all  this  "  kitchen  ware "  were  the  two 
rubber  blankets  and  the  two  wool  blankets,  and  an  old 
"puff,"  that  Farr  had  brought;  also  an  A  tent,  seven  by 
seven,  i.e.,  seven  feet  square  on  the  ground. 

Some  of  these  articles  might,  perhaps,  have  been  dis- 
pensed with  ;  yet  the  most  of  them  were  really  necessary. 
And  on  account  of  this  amount  of  necessary  luggage  it  is 
better  for  a  party — whether  going  for  pleasure  or  other- 
wise—  to  go  as  much  by  water  as  possible,  in  a  good, 
roomy  boat.) 

An  account  was  kept  of  every  thing  bought,  so  that  in 
the  end  each  could  pay  his  proportionate  part  of  the 
expenses ;  this  was  what  we  had  agreed  upon  at  the  out- 
set. Fred's  boat,  in  which  they  had  already  stowed  al) 
the  luggage,  lay  in  the  river  a  few  rods  from  the  house. 
It  was  a  sort  of  bateau,  about  twenty-four  feet  long  by 
four  feet  in  width  amidships.  Once  it  had  been  painted 
white  with  a  red  lapstreak,  but  hard  service  and  stormy 
waters  had  much  defaced  it. 

Fred  had  brought  with  him  two  dozen  of  traps,  and 
Farr  had  a  dozen.  Of  guns  we  had  a  great  supply, —  more 
guns  than  ammunition,  as  it  turned  out.  Fred  had  a 


"CANADA   PLUMS."  31 

long  single-barrelled  shot-gun,  and  Farr  had  a  double- 
barrelled  shot-gun  and  a  Sharpe's  army  (cavalry)  car- 
bine, one  of  those  clumsy  breech-loaders  in  which  the 
barrel  is  connected  and  held  to  the  chamber  by  an 
iron  strap  in  front  of  the  trigger  guard.  In  loading, 
this  strap  acts  as  a  lever  to  slide  the  barrel  forward 
from  the  chamber,  into  which  it  fits  rather  loosely.  The 
chamber  is  then  filled  with  powder,  and  the  bullet  is 
thrust  into  the  base  of  the  barrel.  The  strap  is  then 
snapped  into  position,  bringing  the  barrel  with  the  ball 
down  against  the  chamber  and  the  powder.  A  percussion 
cap  is  then  placed  upon  a  nipple  and  tube  entering  the 
chamber,  and  the  piece  is  ready  for  firing.  All  these 
weapons  besides  our  own ! 

For  provisions  Fred  had  got  a  sack  of  flour,  some  pork, 
a  half  bushel  of  corn  meal,  a  bushel  of  potatoes,  three 
pounds  of  coffee,  a  pound  of  tea,  four  pounds  of  sugar,  a 
quantity  of  butter,  and  two  papers  of  Horsford's  "  Bread 
Preparation,"  —  this  last  for  making  warm  biscuits. 

In  the  little  garden  attached  to  the  Lake  House 
there  was  a  thicket  of  plum  trees ;  of  the  kind  called 
"  Canada  Plums,"  similar  to  pomegranates.  To  these  we 
helped  ourselves  liberally ;  for  they  grew  in  liberal  quan- 
tities. The  ground  beneath  the  shrubs  was  literally  red 
with  the  plums.  Everybody  ate  all  they  wanted,  —  and 
no  questions. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Starting  up  the  Umbagog.  — Somebody's  Handkerchief.  — A  Gale  on 
the  Lake.  —  Moments  of  Peril. — A  Drenching. — Birch  Island. 
—  Fred's  Match-box.  —  Tea,  Pork  and  Crackers.  —  Metallic's  Is- 
land. —  "  Old  Metallic."  — Our  Camp  at "  Moll's  Rock."— Buried 
Ducks.  —A  Cosy  Night. 

AS  soon  as  it  was  fairly  light  next  morning,  we  were 
astir.  Breakfast  was  eaten.  Godwin's  bill  against 
us  was  a  very  light  one.  He  charged  us  not  half  the  usual 
hotel  rates.  It  was  well  he  did,  or  we  should  have  been 
utterly  bankrupted  then  and  there. 

Some  minutes  before  sunrise  we  went  aboard  our  boat  and 
took  our  places  for  the  long  pull  up  the  lakes.  There  were 
two  sets  of  row-locks,  with  oars  to  match.  Fred  took  one 
pair  and  Farr  the  other.  Spot  laid  down  on  Fair's  coat  be- 
hind his  master.  I  took  the  stern  seat  and  steering  oar. 
3cott  had  the  bow  seat  and  a  paddle. 

"All  ready!"  cried  Fred,  cheerily.  "Give  way!  one- 
«r,ro-three  and  away  we  go  ! " 

Following  the  crooked  channel  of  the  Cambridge,  it  is 


STARTING   UP    tME   UMBAGOG.  33 

nearly  a  mile  out  to  the  lake  proper ;  yet  when  the  gates  are 
down  at  Errol  the  Umbagog  flows  bacfc  to  the  very  yard 
fence  at  Godwin's.  The  flats  were  now  in  part  overflowed. 
The  morning  had  been  clear  and  calm ;  but  directly  after 
sunrise  the  wind  began  to  blow  from  the  south-west.  By  the 
time  we  were  fairly  out  of  the  Cambridge  on  the  lake,  there 
was  quite  a  "  sea." 

Fred  kept  glancing  uneasily  at  the  sky. 

"No  danger,  is  there?"  said  Scott. 

"No  danger  here,"  replied  Fred.  "But  if  this  wind 
keeps  rising,  we  shall  have  it  rough  up  toward  the  Nai- 
rows  ! " 

This  prediction  rather  dampened  the  jolly  spirits  in  which 
we  had  embarked.  We  grew  less  talkative,  but  rowed  the 
harder.  A  few  minutes  later  we  rounded  B.  Point  and 
saw  the  whole  southern  half  of  the  lake  before  us.  Rather 
rough  and  windy  it  looked,  too. 

"  No  white  caps,  yet ! "  said  Farr,  turning  on  his  seat  for 
a  look  ahead.  "  Guess  we  can  go  through,  Fred." 

"  Can't  tell  that  yet,"  said  Fred.  "  It's  a  thing  you  can't 
count  on,  —  this  lake.  Gets  up  quicker  than  Jack-in-a-box 
if  a  puff  of  wind  blows.  My  opinion  is,  if  we  want  to  get 
through  those  Narrows  this  forenoon  we  have  no  time  to 
lose." 

On  this  hint  we  all  began  pulling  with  a  will.  To  avoid 
the  trough  of  the  waves,  we  kept  the  boat  headed  north-west 
till  we  were  within  three-fourths  of  a  mile  of  the  west  shore, 
then  turned  her  squarely  to  the  north-east,  with  the  wind 


34  A   GALE   ON   THE   LAKE, 

at  our  backs,  and  heading  straight  into  the  Narrows,  four 
miles  distant 

For  the  first  ten  minutes  we  rode  as  lightly  as  a  duck,  and 
shot  ahead  rapidly.  The  boat  was  not  heavily  loaded  for 
its  size.  But  soon  white  caps  began  to  show,  and  the 
swells  grew  larger.  The  boat  began  to  bounce  on  them 
and  the  spatters  to  fly.  We  kept  steadily  at  our  work, 
however,  and  under  our  united  strength  the  bateau  went 
about  as  fast  as  the  waves,  though  a  few  big  swells  combed 
into  the  stern,  making  my  seat  far  from  comfortable. 

Ten  minutes  more  and  we  were  within  a  mile  of  the 
Narrows.  All  about,  the  waves  were  running  white.  The 
boat  was  plunging  heavily.  The  spray  flew  in  upon  us. 
The  roar  of  the  dashing  was  so  great  that  we  could  scarcely 
hear  each  others'  voices.  Spot  howled  dismally.  I  confess 
to  being  considerably  scared.  For  the  wind  blew  smartly ; 
and  all  down  through  the  Narrows  the  lake  was  as  rough 
as  a  cataract.  Just  then  Scott's  hat  flew  off  and  was  dashed 
out  of  sight  several  rods  ahead  ! 

"  Never  mind  that ! "  he  shouted.  "  Let  it  go !  I've  got 
an  old  cap  in  my  pack." 

"  Steady !  "  shouted  Fred.     "  Hold  her  steady,  Farr !  " 

Then  he  turned  for  a  look.  We  were  bouncing  prodig- 
iously. 

"  I  fear  for  her  backbone  !  "  groaned  Scott. 

"  Take  a  look,  Farr,  and  tell  me  what  you  think  of  it ! " 
said  Fred,  resuming  his  oars. 

Farr  looked. 


MOMENTS    OF    PERIL. 


35 


"  Never  saw  it  worse,"  said  he.  "  I  don't  know,  but  I'm 
afraid  it  will  be  too  much  for  her.  I  should  say,  go  foi 
Birch  Island." 

"  Birch  Island  it  is,  then  !  "  exclaimed  Fred.  "  Head 
her  for  that  island  off  to  the  right  of  us  !  "  he  added  to  me, 
pointing  to  where  a  clump  of  white  birches  and  a  few 


"  NOW  FOR  IT  I   OVER  WITH  YOU  !  " 

evergreens  seemed  to  rise  out  of  the  waves  about  a  hun- 
dred rods  away. 

I  had  all  I  could  do  to  hold  the  boat  steady  with  the 
steering  oar.  The  swells  threw  us  about  amazingly. 
There  is  a  strength  and  friskiness  in  these  fresh  water 
surges  that  is  never  felt  on  the  more  staid  salt  water. 
Those  were  wild  moments.  Fred,  Farr  and  Scott  were 


36  A   DRENCHING. 

pulling  with  might  and  main.  The  spray  flew  over  us  ;  the 
spatters  drenched  us.  I  expected  every  moment  that  we 
should  be  swamped.  And  as  we  drew  near  the  island,  our 
case  seemed  not  much  improved.  The  waves  broke  against 
it  fiercely. 

"  It  won't  do  to  let  her  run  on  there  !  "  exclaimed  Farr. 
"  It  will  stave  her ! " 

"  Yes,"  said  Fred.  "  But  it  is  not  deep  water.  Sit  still 
and  pull  till  I  give  the  word,  then  jump  out  everybody, 
and  ease  her  ashore." 

"  Now  for  it !  Over  with  you ! "  he  shouted,  a  moment 
afterwards. 

We  leaped  out,  and  carried  the  boat  by  main  strength 
high  upon  the  sand. 

It  had  been  a  sharp  tussle.  Never  was  I  so  glad  to 
set  my  foot  on  firm  earth.  We  were  drenched  to  our 
skins.  The  rubber  coats  and  blankets  had  protected  the 
flour  and  meal  and  sugar;  but  ever}'  thing  else  was 
soaked  and  the  boat  was  a  third  full  of  water.  The  wind, 
piercing  our  wet  clothes,  made  us  shiver  despite  the  exer- 
tion. As  soon  as  we  could  secure  the  boat  we  ran  to  the 
lea  of  the  birch  and  cedar  thicket  that  occupied  the 
middle  of  the  islet. 

"Let's  have  a  fire  and  dry  ourselves  1"  exclaimed 
Scott  "We  shall  have  to  stay  here  till  the  wind 
lulls." 

Farr  got  the  axe  from  the  boat  and  fell  to  splitting  up 
dry  cedar;  a  rather  large  cedar  (for  the  island)  had  blown 


TEA,    PORK   AND   CRACKERS.  37 

down  some  years  before  and  now  lay  dry  and  broken 
among  large  stones.  He  soon  had  a  great  pile  of  it 
split. 

"  Who's  got  a  match  ? "  he  cried. 

Scott  took  out  his  little  tin  match-box  and  opened  it, — 
but  stopped  short  with  a  loud  exclamation :  — 

"  Wet !  every  one  wet  as  sop ! "  and  he  poured  water 
out  of  the  box! 

Fred  laughed.  "Let  me  see  if  my  match-box  is  as 
bad  off  as  yours." 

He  pulled  out  a  flat  bottle  tightly  corked. 

"  This  is  my  match-box,"  said  he.  "  Takes  more  than 
one  soaking  to  wet  that  —  inside." 

And  his  were  the  only  matches  that  had  escaped. 

We  soon  had  a  fire  going,  —  a  rousing  one,  about  which 
we  stood  and  steamed  in  the  shelter  of  the  thicket.  The 
roar  of  the  agitated  lake  came  to  our  ears  from  the  wind- 
ward side  of  the  islet ;  but  on  the  lee-side  the  water  was 
not  very  rough.  Up  at  the  Narrows  it  looked  white  and 
tumultuous ;  and  against  the  rocky  side  of  Metallic  Island, 
half  a  mile  above,  we  could  see  the  surf  leap  up  eight  and 
ten  feet,  white  as  milk.  I  vowed  inwardly  not  to  put 
out  on  the  lake  again  till  the  wind  went  down,  if  I  had 
to  stay  there  alone  two  weeks.  Farr  kept  asking  us  how 
we  should  like  to  be  "  out  there  now,"  —  pointing  toward 
the  weltering  Narrows. 

We  began  to  feel  like  having  dinner.  Fred  brought 
round  the  frying-pan  and  a  piece  of  pork.  This  was  cut 


38  METALLIC'S    ISLAND. 

into  slices,  and  "  sizzled "  in  the  pan.  The  fat  looked 
very  clear  and  good.  At  home,  neither  Scott  nor  I  ate 
salted  pork,  or  the  fat.  But  when  Fred  brought  round  a 
dozen  crackers  and  Farr  had  made  a  pot  of  strong  tea, 
we  felt  a  good  appetite  to  sit  down  round  the  "  spider," 
each  with  a  fork  to  break  and  dip  pieces  of  cracker  in 
the  fat  and  sip  dippers  of  sweet  tea  without  milk.  We 
seemed  to  need  the  fat  after  our  drenching. 

"  I  begin  to  understand  how  the  Esquimaux  can  drink 
train  oil,"  remarked  Scott.  "  It's  the  cold  and  the  rough 
life  they  lead  that  makes  it  relish." 

The  wind  continued  to  blow  all  through  the  middle  of 
the  day.  It  always  does  here,  when  once  it  gets  started. 
We  began  to  think  we  should  have  to  spend  the  night  on 
the  island  ;  but  toward  four  o'clock,  afternoon,  it  subsided 
considerably  and  the  swells  fell  with  it. 

"  Let's  start,"  said  Fred.  "  We  can  get  as  far  as  Moll's 
Rock,  and  have  time  to  camp  before  dark." 

We  bailed  out  the  boat,  then  got  in  and  pushed  off. 

"  What's  '  Moll's  Rock '  ? "  inquired  Scott. 

"It  is  a  ledge  on  the  west  shore  about  a  mile  below 
the  outlet,"  (Androscoggin)  Farr  explained.  ''They  call 
it  Moll's  Rock  from  old  Mollocket,  an  Indian  squaw,  who 
used  to  live  there.  She  had  a  wigwam  on  the  ledge,  a 
little  up  from  the  water,  for  a  good  many  years.  It's  a 
pretty  place.  Old  Metallic  was  her  husband,  it  is  said. 
He  was  a  chief.  That  is  where  they  get  the  name  of 
Metallic's  Island  —  from  him." 


OUR   CAMP  AT   MOLL'S   ROCK.  39 

From  Birch  Island  to  Moll's  Rock  it  is  not  far  from 
three  miles,  as  I  judged.  The  upper  portion  of  Lake 
Umbagog  —  the  part  above  the  Narrows  —  is  by  far  the 
most  picturesque.  All  about  the  northern  and  western 
sides  there  are  fine  bold  peaks,  with  dense  unbroken 
forests,  clothing  their  slopes  to  the  very  shores.  The  red 
and  gold  of  the  birches  and  maples  was  contrasted  finely 
with  the  black  green  of  the  spruce  thickets.  A  pleasanter 
scene  can  hardly  be  imagined  than  when  the  bright  glow 
of  the  setting  sun  rested  warmly  on  all  this  autumnal 
splendor,  and  on  the  broad  lake,  now  quiet  as  a  mirror. 
It  seems  incredible  how  soon  this  tumultuous  white- 
capped  expanse  sinks  to  repose  when  the  wind  falls! 
Its  calms  succeed  as  rapidly  as  its  bursts  of  wave-lashed 
wrath. 

Just  as  the  last  rays  of  sunset  were  burnishing  the 
waters,  we  pulled  into  the  little  cove  to  the  south  of 
Moll's  Rock.  This  is  a  favorite  camping  place  for  sports- 
men on  these  waters.  The  place  was  strewn  with  the 
debris  of  broken  boxes,  tin  cans,  and,  I  regret  to  say, 
broken  bottles.  One  bit  of  board  nailed  to  a  tree  said 
that  "  Warren  Noyes  and  party  camped  here  eleven  days, 
from  September  2$th,  18  — ,  till  October  yth;"  another, 
driven  into  the  ground  like  a  headstone,  informed  the 
passer  that  thereunder  rested  the  bodies  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-six  ducks,  being  the  surplus  above  table  use 
shot  by  the  above  party. 

We  kindled  a  fire  in  a  stone  fireplace  built  by  formei 


40  BURIED   DUCKS. 

occupants,  and  pitched  our  tent  Fred  got  out  the  "  Hors- 
ford "  and  proceeded  to  knead  up  a  batch  of  biscuits, 
using  a  piece  of  butter  for  "shortening."  Scott  under- 
took to  make  tea ;  and  it  was  my  duty  to  prepare  coals 
and  roast  for  the  party  two  potatoes  apiece  and  one  for 
Spot. 

While  we  were  thus  engaged,  a  flock  of  black  ducks 
went  whirring  over,  flying  very  low.  Farr,  who  was  stand- 
ing by,  seized  his  shot-gun  and  let  both  barrels  go  among 
them  ;  and  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  wing  one  of  them. 
It  fell  into  the  lake  at  a  hundred  yards  or  less  from  the 
shore.  Farr  immediately  pushed  off  to  pick  it  up.  But 
it  swam  and  dived  so  expertly  that  he  was  obliged  to 
shoot  it  again  with  Fred's  long-barrelled  gun.  It  was  a 
fine  large  bird,  and  would  have  weighed  eight  pounds,  we 
thought.  Farr  dressed  it  and  put  it  on  to  parboil  for 
breakfast.  Fred  cut  armful  after  armful  of  boughs  and 
made  a  very  comfortable  bed  inside  the  tent.  On  this 
we  spread  our  rubber  blankets  and  then  rolled  ourselves 
up  in  our  wool  blankets.  The  flap  of  the  tent,  on  the 
end  next  the  fire,  was  pinned  back  to  let  in  the  cheerful 
glow.  We  lay  and  talked  a  long  time,  —  planning  what 
we  should  do  when  we  reached  Parmachenee  and  got 
into  the  wild  region  to  the  north  of  it. 

Ah,  we  little  knew  what  was  before  us,  or  how  many 
hardships  and  perils  must  be  braved  before  we  should  see 
Moll's  Rock  again.  Loons  with  their  plaintive  wild 
voices  sang  us  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  V. 

An  Early  Breakfast.  — A  Duck.  —  On  the  Androscoggin.  —  A  Dead 
Forest  — We  Enter  the  Magalloway.  —  Flocks  Sheldrakes.— 
"Bottle  Brook  Pond." — A  Duck  Hunt  —  An  Exciting  Moment. 
—  Hundreds  of  Them  !  — The  Carbine  Bursts.  — A  Bursted  Fin- 
ger.— Three  Ducks. 

^"^  COTT  woke  the  rest  of  us  sometime  before  sunrise  by 
k_}  firing  at  a  loon  sailing  near,  with  the  little  rifle.  It  star- 
tled us  rather  suddenly ;  but  it  was  high  time  we  were  up. 
The  fire  was  rekindled.  Fred  made  fritters  ('  flippers '  he 
called  them)  out  of  flour,  using  some  of  the  bread  preparation 
and  stirring  them  thinner  than  for  biscuit.  Farr  finished 
cooking  his  duck.  I  boiled  potatoes ;  and  Fred  made  coffee 
—  the  first  we  had. 

We  hurried  things,  and  had  breakfast  ready  a  few  minutes 
after  sun-peep.  And  we  ate  as  speedily  as  possible,  for  the 
wind  began  to  blow  a  little,  rising  with  the  sun.  We  had  a 
mile  and  a  half  to  go  before  getting  into  the  outlet ;  and  we 
did  not  relish  the  thought  of  being  cooped  up  there  all  day 
again.  Twenty-four  hours  had  passed  since  we  left  God- 
win's; and  we  were  still  only  eight  miles  above  the  Lake 
House.  From  Upton  to  the  head  of  Lake  Parmachenee  it 


42  ON   THE   ANDROSCOGGIN. 

is  eighty  miles.  It  would  take  us  ten  days  to  get  up  there,  at 
our  first  day's  rate.  We  all  chafed  under  this  estimate. 

"  But  we  will  do  better  to-day,"  said  Fred.  "  The  wind 
can't  swamp  us  on  the  river." 

"We  shall  have  the  current  to  row  against  after  we  get 
into  the  Magalloway,"  suggested  Farr ;  "  and  a  pretty  strong 
old  current,  too,  after  all  these  rains." 

Persons  do  not  usually  perceive  the  full  magnitude  of  an 
enterprise  until  after  they  have  entered  upon  it ;  that  was  our 
case,  at  least. 

Spot  had  what  was  left  of  the  duck.  We  struck  our  tent 
and  packed  up  without  loss  of  time.  In  less  than  an  hour, 
we  were  embarking  again :  and  an  hour  is  quick  time  to  get 
breakfast,  eat  it,  and  break  camp.  They  who  have  tried  it 
will  say  so. 

Though  the  wind  had  risen  considerably,  we  had  no  trou- 
ble in  crossing  to  the  outlet.  Off  Reed  Point  the  swells  made 
the  boat  bounce  a  little;  but  immediately  on  making  the 
Point  we  were  in  smooth  water  and  at  once  pulled  into  the 
river. 

The  Androscoggin,  where  it  first  leaves  the  lake,  is  very 
crooked,  winding  about  through  a  shrubby,  alluvial  meadow 
of  its  own  making.  It  is  not  more  than  fifty  or  sixty  yards 
wide  here  on  an  average,  with  a  sluggish  and  hardly  percep- 
tible current. 

We  passed,  hereabouts,  what  Fred  called  the  headvvorks 
of  a  raft  of  logs,  itself  a  raft,  upon  which  was  planted  a 
capstan  for  pulling  the  greater  raft  to  which  it  may  be 


WE   ENTER   THE   MAGALLOWAY.  43 

attached.  It  lay  high  and  dry  on  the  bank.  About  it 
were  scattered  heavy  levers,  capstan-bars  and  "  thorough 
shots,"  —  just  as  the  last  gang  of  drivers  had  abandoned  it. 

Going  on,  we  entered  among  a  heavy  growth  of  maple 
and  elm,  dead  and  half-fallen. 

"  The  big  dam  at  Errol  did  it,"  Fred  explained.  "  Wa- 
ter rose  over  the  roots  and  killed  the  trees." 

From  the  place  where  the  Androscoggin  leaves  the  lake, 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Magalloway  it  is  about  two  miles 
The  latter  comes  in  at  nearly  right  angles  from  the  north. 
We  reached  the  forks  at  half  past  eight  precisely,  and  at 
once  turned  our  prow  up  the  stream — toward  Parma- 
chenee.  Hitherto  we  had  gone  with  the  current.  Now 
we  had  to  breast  it.  For  several  miles,  however,  this 
current  is  hardly  noticeable.  At  the  confluence,  the  Magal- 
loway looks  to  be  as  large  as  the  Androscoggin,  and  is 
very  deep.  Ducks  rose  in  flocks  ahead  of  us  and  went 
smartly  off  up  stream. 

"This  is  about  as  far  as  I  have  ever  been,"  Fred 
remarked.  "  I  have  been  out  here  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Magalloway  twice,  but  never  any  farther.  It  will  be  new 
territory  now  for  the  whole  of  us." 

"Well,  all  we  shall  have  to  do  will  be  to  follow  the  river," 
said  Farr.  "The  stream  leads  up  to  the  lake;  and  we 
cannot  very  well  lose  the  stream." 

Flock  after  flock  of  sheldrakes  rose  one  after  the  other. 
It  was  agreed  that  Scott  should  ship  his  paddle  and  sit.  in 
the  bow  with  the  guns  cocked  and  ready  for  them. 


14  "BOTTLE  BROOK  POND." 

The  shores  were  wooded  almost  exclusively  with  firs; 
the  stieam  was  eight  and  nine  rods  wide,  very  dark  and 
seemingly  very  deep.  About  half  an  hour  after  entering 
it,  we  passed  a  great  swamp  on  the  west  bank,  which  the 
overflowing  waters  had  now  changed  to  a  pond.  Here 
at  some  distance  we  saw  fully  fifty  black  ducks  sailing  and 
splashing  about.  They  were  too  far  off  to  hit  with  shot. 
We  did  not  care  to  turn  the  boat  into  the  swamp  among  the 
many  snags  and  roots.  Scott  sent  a  slug  from  the  rifle 
skipping  amongst  them,  at  which  twenty-five  or  thirty  rose 
with  a  great  spattering  and  whirring  of  wings. 

Captain  Perkins,  of  the  little  lake  steamer  "  Diamond," 
at  Upton,  had  told  Fred  to  be  sure  to  try  "  Bottle  Brook 
Pond,"  for  ducks,  going  up  ;  and  he  described  the  place 
where  we  should  need  to  land  to  go  to  it  so  well  that  we 
had  no  trouble  in  recognizing  it.  It  was  about  three  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Magalloway. 

The  guns  were  reloaded  and  plentifully  shotted.  The 
secret  of  shooting  well  with  a  shot  gun  is  to  put  in  a  good 
lot  of  shot.  If  you  put  in  a  whole  handful,  they  will  be  pretty 
sure  to  knock  over  something.  Bottle  Brook  Pond  lies 
abreast  of  the  river,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  bank  not 
more  than  ten  feet  above  high  water  and  twelve  or  fifteen 
rods  in  width.  But  this  bank  is  so  densely  wooded  with  firs 
that  no  glimpse  of  the  pond  is  obtained  from  the  stream. 
The  pond  itself  is  of  no  great  extent :  eight  or  ten  acres, 
perhaps. 

Carefully  securing  our  boat  to  a  root  in  the  bank,  we 


A   DUCK   HUNT.  45 

landed,  guns  in  hand,  and  cautiously  made  our  way  through 
the  firs.  Farr,  in  order  to  have  all  the  available  shooting 
power  ready,  had  made  an  experiment — one  he  will  not 
care  to  try  again,  I  fancy :  he  loaded  his  Sharpe's  carbine 
with  shot;  pretty  heavily,  too,  it  would  seem  :  at  any  rate,  he 
admitted  afterwards  that  he  had  put  in  a  "good  dose"  of 
shot,  and  powder  enough  to  a  little  more  than  fill  the  chamber  I 

Perkins  had  predicted  rightly.  Our  first  glimpse  of  the 
pond  through  the  firs  showed  it  to  be  alive  with  both  black 
ducks  and  sheldrakes.  There  they  were,  paddling  about, 
diving,  flapping,  and  spattering  the  water,  with  an  occasional 
low  quack  !  The  sight  of  them  so  near,  made  Scott  fairly 
wild  with  excitement. 

"  More  than  five  hundred  of  them  ! "  he  muttered.  "  We 
will  have  them,  sure  !  " 

Not  daring  to  disclose  ourselves,  we  crouched  under  cover 
of  a  fallen  fir-top,  ten  or  fifteen  yards  back  from  the  water, 
amid  the  shrubbery.  We  could  see  them  plainly  enough ; 
but  they  had  not  espied  us.  It  was  fun  to  watch  them  at 
play.  They  were  not  more  than  twenty  yards  from  the  shore 
— not  a  hundred  feet  from  where  we  lay  in  ambush. 

They  were  darting  first  one  way,  then  another,  on  the  water, 
but  mainly  in  little  groups  of  three,  four  and  five  together. 

"  We'll  just  everlastingly  pepper  'em  ! "  whispered  Farr. 
"  Five  guns  —  seven  barrels.  Get  good  aim  now,  and  when 
I  count  three,  blaze  away  1  Ready,  now  —  one — two  — 
three." 

Whang — bang —  whang!  went  six  barrels. 


40  AN    EXCITING   MOMENT. 

There  was  a  great  smoke  !  loud  quackings  of  alarm  and 
terror  from  the  pond  !  involuntary  shouts  from  the  whole  of 
us  !  Spot  barking  loudly  ! 

Farr  leaped  up  with  the  carbine  for  another  shot.  Through 
the  smoke  we  could  see  the  air  black  with  ducks  going  up 


IT  MADE  A  TREMENDOUS  REPORT. 

off  the  water  with  a  mighty  flutter  and  rumble  of  wings.  Farr 
aimed  into  the  flock  and  fired  the  carbine.  It  made  a  tre- 
mendous report,  and  I  saw  him  reel  backward  against  a  tree. 
The  piece  itself  jumped  out  of  his  hands,  as  if  thrown.  Fan 
recovered  his  legs,  but  began  to  shake  his  hand. 


THREE    DUCKS.  47 

"  Hurt  ye  ?  "  we  cried  out  to  him.     "  Did  it  burst  ?  " 

"Oh-h-h  —  ah-h-h  ! "  moaned  the  carbiner,  dancing  about. 

"  It  —  it  —  just  burst  my  forefinger  ! !  " 

Fred  ran  to  pick  up  the  exploded  weapon.  The  iron  strap 
had  burst,  throwing  the  barrel  and  chamber  apart  at  full 
stretch !  It  was  this  broken  strap  that  struck  his  finger, 
bruising  it  badly.  The  tube,  too,  had  spit  the  powder  and 
spattered  his  other  hand,  burning  it  slightly. 

Leaving  him  to  shake  the  agonies  out  of  his  aching  finger, 
the  rest  of  us  turned  our  attention  to  the  pond.  One  duck 
was  splashing  about  close  in  to  the  shore ;  another  lay  still  on 
the  water  a  little  farther  out ;  and  far  over  on  the  other  side 
of  the  pond  we  could  see  still  another  fluttering  near  the 
shore. 

"Three  down  ! "  cried  Fred.  "  Not  so  very  bad,  though 
we  might  have  done  better." 

The  one  near  the  shore  was  immediately  secured.  But  we 
could  not  reach  the  other,  and  tried  in  vain  to  make  Spot  go 
in  after  it.  No  use.  All  he  would  do  was  to  put  his  tail 
betwixt  his  legs  and  slink  off :  he  wasn't  a  water  dog.  Finally, 
by  going  back  to  the  boat  for  the  hatchet  and  cutting  a  very 
long  pole,  we  contrived  to  pull  in  the  second  one. 

Meanwhile  Scott  and  Fred  had  gone  round  the  pond  after 
the  third  duck,  which  they  knocked  over  with  a  pole  and- 
secured  without  much  difficulty.  Thus  closed  our  first  duck- 
shooting  exploit.  We  were  greatly  elated  —  except  Farr. 
We  had  three  ducks — and  a  shattered  gun — and  a  shattered 
fiagts. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Crooked  River. —The  Magalloway  Lower  Settlement  —  A  School 
Mistress.  —Two  Coy  Maidens.  —The  Diamond  Forks.  —  Partridge 
Bluffs.  — A  Hasty  Meal.  — More  Ducks. — The  Game  Escapes 
—  Swifter  Water.  —  "  Alder-Grab  Rapids."  —  A  Sharp  Fight  with 
the  Current.  —  "  Sneaking  up."  — Tired  out.  —  A  Deserted  House. 

r  I  THE  most  crooked  stream  in  the  world  is  the  Magal- 
JL  loway.  There  are  crooks  about  which  one  may  pull  a 
boat  two  miles  without  getting  ahead  twenty  rods.  At  one 
place,  which  we  reached  an  hour  later,  the  river  is  "  three 
double"  ;  so  that  really  we  had  to  row  past  a  given  point  three 
times  to  get  by  it  for  good. 

We  presently  emerged  from  the  fir  forest  into  clearings. 
Here  and  there  a  low,  weathered  house  or  barn  disclosed 
itself.  This  is  what  is  known  as  the  Lower  Settlement  of 
Magalloway.  It  is  in  the  edge  of  New  Hampshire.  The 
district  is  called,  on  the  map,  Wentworth's  Location.  It  is 
not  a  town,  nor  yet  a  plantation.  How  the  people  stand  re- 
lated to  the  great  body  politic,  generally,  I  am  sure  I  don't 
know.  But  however  their  political  situation  may  determine, 
it  must  be  a  blessed  nice  one,  for  they  have  no  taxes  to  pay 
—  not  even  poll  tax  or  school  tax ;  and  yet  they  have  a 
school  —  thanks  to  the  State  Treasury ;  for  we  presently  passed 
48 


THE   MAGALLOWAY   LOWER   SETTLEMENT.  49 

a  house  a  little  up  from  the  bank,  where  during  the  noon  re- 
cess fifteen  or  twenty  children  were  disporting. 

"Too  many  for  one  family,"  commented  Fred.  "This 
must  be  the  place  where  they  have  their  school." 

It  looked  like  that.  And  there  was  the  schoolmistress  (it 
could  be  none  else)  standing  in  the  door.  Having  a  great 
respect  for  education,  Scott  raised  his  hat  to  her.  She 
frowned,  and  being  of  a  dark  complexion,  the  effect  was  so 
depressing  that  we  redoubled  our  efforts  and  made  off  without 
loss  of  time. 

The  clearings  and  cots  are  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 
There  are  no  bridges.  In  winter  (which  means  eight 
months  of  the  year  here),  the  folks  cross  on  the  ice.  In 
summer  they  wade  it.  In  spring  and  fall  and  after  heavy 
showers  they  swim  it. 

A  little  farther  up  we  passed  a  two-story  house  with  very 
comfortable  out-buildings.  There  were  also  two  large  bateaux 
moored  to  the  bank.  This  is  "Spencer's,"  the  headquarters  of 
the  Berlin  Mills  (N  .H.)  Lumbering  Company.  Here  one 
may  spend  the  night,  or  a  week  if  desirable,  and  have  good 
board  at  two  dollars  per  day.  Tourists  now  and  then  get  up 
as  far  as  this  place.  There  is  fine  trout  fishing  at  Escohos 
falls,  five  or  six  miles  above  this  point. 

Shortly  after  passing  Spencer's,  we  espied  two  maidens  at  a 
place  where  a  cart  track  led  down  the  bank  to  the  water  — 
in  wading  time.  They  were  waiting  and  casting  wistful  looks 
toward  the  opposite  bank.  Evidently  they  wished  to  get 
across.  There  was  no  boat.  They  were  very  pretty  girls  — 


50  THE   DIAMOND    FORKS. 

from  where  we  were.  Fred  hailed  them  politely  and  asked 
if  they  would  like  to  have  us  set  them  across  in  our  boat. 
They  regarded  us  thoughtfully  a  moment,  then  precipitately 
retired  into  a  sweet  elder-bush.  Modest.  But  it  hurts  one's 
feelings  to  have  well-meant  offers  received  in  that  way.  Again 
we  plied  our  oars. 

Off  to  the  west  Mount  Dustin,  with  dark  slopes  of  spruce, 
walled  in  the  river  valley.  Due  north  the  great  round  white 
peak  of  Escohos  —  one  of  the  highest  mountains  in  Maine 
—  rises  almost  to  the  snow-line.  To  the  north-west  the  "  Dia- 
mond Peaks  "  display  their  brown  rectangular  crags,  disclosing 
a  wild,  narrow  valley,  down  which  comes  the  Swift  Diamond 
Stream.  The  valley  resounds  to  the  roar  of  its  cascades.  It 
joins  the  Magalloway  at  this  place. 

A  little  above  the  forks,  the  Magalloway  bends  from  the 
base  of  a  high  hill  covered  with  poplars  and  white  birches- 
Here  we  found  a  strong  current.  Fred  stopped  rowing. 

"Isn't  it  getting  about  time  for  grub?"   he  demanded. 

"  One  o'clock,"  said  Scott,  looking  at  his  time-keeper. 

"  I  move  we  land  and  get  up  a  dinner,"  said  Farr. 

We  all  felt  that  way.  The  boat  was  laid  alongside  the  bank 
and  made  fast  to  a  birch.  We  jumped  ashore,  glad  to 
stretch  our  legs.  They  felt  badly  kinked  after  sitting  so 
long. 

We  had  not  taken  half  a  dozen  steps  before  a  fine  birch- 
partridge  flew  up  to  the  limb  of  a  poplar. 

"Pass  the  gun,  Farr,"  said  Scott,  —  "the  double-b«irrelled 
one." 


PARTRIDGE   BLUFFS.  51 

It  was  handed  to  him.  He  fired.  Down  dropped  the 
bird.  But  at  the  report  there  flew  up  another  from  the 
ground  near  by  and  alighted  on  one  of  the  lowest  limbs  of  a 
neighboring  fir.  There  it  stood  motionless,  close  up  to  the 
trunk. 

Scott  discharged  the  other  barrel  and  secured  her. 

The  first  one  was  as  large  a  cock  partridge  as  I  had  ever 
seen. 

"  Looks  as  if  we  no  need  to  starve,"  said  Fred.  "  These 
ducks  and  two  partridges  the  first  half  day  on  the  river." 

Near  by  were  the  ruins  of  an  old  logging  camp :  a  rude 
structure,  consisting  of  a  frame  of  stakes  and  poles  covered 
with  broad  "shingles  "  of  hemlock  bark.  It  was  nearly  forty 
feet  long  by  twenty  in  breadth.  Heavy  snows,  accumulating 
on  the  roof,  had  broken  it  in.  This  furnished  us  fuel.  The 
dry  bark  burned  readily.  Nothing — save  coal  —  makes  a 
hotter  fire  than  dry  hemlock  bark. 

Fred  set  up  a  "  spunhungen  "  (a  pole  with  one  end  stuck 
in  the  ground  and  extending  out  over  the  fire :  an  Indian 
device,  hence  called  by  the  Indian  name),  and  soon  had 
potatoes  boiling  and  meat  sizzling. 

Farr  meantime  had  fallen  upon  the  partridges  and  was 
making  the  feathers  fly  like  a  goshawk.  Very  soon  two  plump 
breasts  were  in  the  fry-pan,  which  was  filled  partially  with 
water.  His  way  of  cooking  birds  was  to  first  parboil  them  a 
few  minutes,  or  a  few  hours,  as  time  permitted,  then  brown 
them  in  the  same  pan  and  make  a  gravy  of  flour. 

The  breast  of  a  partridge  is  the  only  part  worth  eating,  — 


52  MORE  DUCKS. 

in  my  opinion.  We  came  to  eat  nothing  but  those  white 
breasts.  The  remaining  parts  we  threw  to  Spot,  raw.  Un- 
less we  were  unusually  hungry,  a  breast  apiece  would  be 
about  what  we  wanted ;  and  unless  we  had  four  birds,  it  was 
hardly  worth  while  to  have  a  partridge  dinner. 

In  twenty-five  minutes  after  Farr  began  to  pick  them,  he 
announced  them  "  done ; "  and  indeed  they  tasted  very  well, 
though  Scott  pronounced  them  "a  bit  too  rare." 

We  stopped  an  hour  here.  Considering  the  fact  that  we 
shot,  dressed,  and  cooked  our  dinner,  it  was  not  a  long  halt. 
From  the  circumstances,  we  named  the  place  Partridge  Bluff. 

Just  as  we  were  embarking,  a  large  flock  of  ducks  came 
humming  down  the  stream.  There  was  a  scramble  for  the 
guns.  Fred  fired  among  them;  but  they  had  got  a  little 
past.  None  of  them  stopped  with  us. 

The  current  was  more  rapid,  on  turning  the  bend,  beyond 
the  bluff.  We  had  to  work  steadily  to  make  fair  progress 
against  it,  —  two  miles  an  hour. 

A  second  flock  of  ducks  went  up  from  the  water  a  few 
rods  above  the  bend.  Scott  let  two  barrels  go  among  them. 
One  tumbled  back. 

"  Good  shot ! "  we  shouted. 

But  the  wounded  duck  dived  next  moment ;  and  though 
ive  waited  and  watched  five  or  ten  minutes,  we  saw  nothing 
more  of  it.  Possibly  it  got  entangled  in  the  brush  beneath 
the  bank,  under  water,  and  being  severely  wounded,  drowned 
there  and  never  rose.  Or  it  may  have  swam  to  some  dis- 
tance, and  just  raising  its  head  above  water  under  cover  of 


THE   GAME   ESCAPES.  53 

some  bush  or  bunch  of  grass,  thus  eluded  our  notice.  Old 
sportsmen  tell  many  stories  of  the  cunning  displayed  by 
ducts  when  too  severely  wounded  to  fly  off. 

There  were  occasional  clearings  and  old  camps  along  the 
banks,  where  lumbering  operations  had  been  previously  car- 
ried on,  but  no  cultivated  clearings  for  a  space  of  six  or  seven 
miles  above  the  Lower  Settlement.  The  current  for  this 
whole  distance  is  disagreeably  strong  —  to  a  party  going  up. 
It  was  not  till  toward  sunset  that  we  sighted  an  open  field  and 
a  barn  on  the  left  bank,  at  the  foot  of  a  very  dark,  steep  moun- 
tain. But  long  before  getting  up  abreast  the  building,  we 
struck  a  current  so  swift  and  strong  that  our  former  experi- 
ences of  it  were  at  once  belittled.  The  river  curved  sharply 
to  the  right,  disclosing  a  visible  incline,  down  which  the  water 
poured  with  a  steady  sweep,  swift,  black  and  arrowy.  Several 
rocks  rose  above  the  surface.  About  these  the  divided 
current  foamed  and  threw  up  white  jets.  There  was  a  very 
perceptible  roar.  Both  banks  are  rather  steep,  and  densely 
packed  with  black  alders,  rendering  it  well-nigh  impossible  to 
land  a  line  to  tow  with.  At  the  end  of  our  long  day  it  looked 
disheartening  enough.  And  yet  we  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
camping  below  it,  and  having  it  before  us  for  next  day. 

For  as  much  as  ten  minutes  we  hung  in  the  eddy  at  the 
foot  of  the  rapid  and  studied  it,  —  how  to  get  up  best.  Fred 
thought  we  had  better  take  the  mid-channel,  where  there  wa& 
ample  room  between  the  rocks.  We  all  drew  breath,  spat  o 
our  hands,  set  our  teeth,  and  at  the  word  from  Fred,  went  at 
it  with  a  will  and  under  a  full  head  of  muscle.  The  bateau 


54  SWIFTER   WATER. 

shot  out  of  the  eddy,  cut  into  the  strong  water,  and  went  up, 
yard  after  yard,  through  it,  but  kept  going  slower  and  slowei 
as  we  drew  toward  the  top. 

"  We're  gaining !  "  Fred  shouted.     "  We  shall  do  it ! " 

We  struck  quick  and  with  all  our  strength.  So  strong 
was  the  impulse  and  so  great  the  resistance  of  the  current, 
that  the  boat  settled  into  it  almost  at  the  gun-whales. 
Still  we  gained,  inch  by  inch,  and  were  within  ten  yards  of 
the  top  ;  there  we  came  to  a  standstill. 

"  Harder !  We're  not  gaining !  "  Fred  yelled,  panting 
and  buckling  to  his  oars.  "  Harder  !  Harder  !  " 

"  Harder !  Faster !  or  we  shall  go  on  the  rocks !  " 

Every  nerve  now!  But  we  could  not  gain.  The 
mighty  strength  of  the  current  held  us  stark  and  stiff. 
We  sprang  and  struck  and  surged  with  might  and  main. 
The  water  rose  round  us  and  roared  at  us  —  or  seemed  to. 
It  overmatched  us. 

"  We're  losing ! "  Fred  cried  out. 

Inch  by  inch  we  lost  a  yard,  then  by  a  strong  spurt  re- 
tained it,  but  could  not  get  a  foot  higher.  Our  strength 
was  out  of  us  quite.  Farr  and  Scott  both  stopped  pulling. 
Instantly  we  were  swept  back.  An  eddy  caught  the 
stern.  Despite  the  steering  oar,  the  stern  was  carried  to 
right.  Round  came  the  bow  broadside  to  the  stream.  In 
a  moment  we  were  end  for  end,  and  shot  past  a  great, 
black  slippery  stone,  within  six  inches  of  it.  It  would 
have  staved  our  boat  like  an  egg !  A  moment  more  and 
we  were  back  in  the  eddy,  whence  we  started,  completely 
winded  and  spent. 


"ALDER-GRAB  RAPIDS.  55 

"Oh-h-h!  Such  a  current!"  panted  Scott.  "But 
wasn't  that  a  close  shave  !  —  that  rock !  " 

"  Touch  and  a  go  !  "  muttered  Fred.  "  Made  my  hair 
stand !  We  should  have  gone  out  of  her  in  a  hurry  if  we 
had  struck  it !  There  in  that  awful  current,  too  !  Seven 
or  eight  feet  deep  there  !  " 

We  got  breath  and  eased  our  aching  muscles. 

"  No  use  to  try  it  up  the  middle  there  again,"  said  Farr. 
"  But  we  may  possibly  get  up  between  the  rock  and  the 
alders,  on  the  left  side.  One  thing — I'm  going  to  try  a 
setting-pole  instead  of  the  oars  this  time." 

"  A  good  idea,"  said  Fred. 

We  landed  a  little  below  and  cut  a  strong  ash  sapling, 
which  Farr  cut  off  at  twelve  feet  or  thereabouts.  With 
this  he  took  my  place  in  the  stern,  and  I  took  his  oars. 

"  Now  be  ready  to  do  your  prettiest  this  time,"  said 
Fred.  "  Keep  her  going  if  you  can.  Don't  let  her  stop 
and  hang  in  the  current.  Let's  see  if  we  can't  go  up  at 
the  first  spurt,  —  and  have  it  done  quick.  Ready  now. 
Every  time  I  yell  "Hi/"  every  man  dip  his  oar,  sharp. 
Now  for  it  once  more  ! — Hit  Hi!  Hi!" 

We  went  at  the  rapid  again  with  fresh  courage. 

"Hi!  Hi!  Hi!" 

Up  we  went.  Again  the  boat  settled  into  the  water. 
Farr  sent  us  on  with  long  shoves  with  his  pole. 

"  Hi  I  Hi  I  Hi!—  Quicker ! " 

Up,  up,  yard  after  yard.  We  were  almost  to  the  crest  of 
the  rapid  when  the  bow  swerved  a  foot  to  left :  this  side 


56  A   SHARP    FIGHT   WITH   THE   CURRENT. 

was  full  of  cross  currents.  Scott  in  the  bow  put  out  his 
whole  strength  to  force  it  back.  So  did  Fred  and  myself. 
Too  late !  It  turned  side  to  the  stream  in  a  twinkling, 
and  went  round,  nearly  pitching  Farr  out  with  his  pole. 
Before  we  could  dip  our  oars  or  Farr  could  regain  his 
t  balance  sufficiently  to  set  the  pole,  the  current  swept  us 
among  the  alders  which  projected  out  over  the  water,  —  a 
perfect  hedge-row  of  them.  They  were  clogged  and  laden 
with  dirt,  grass,  and  dry  leaves,  lodged  among  them  by 
the  recent  freshet.  Many  of  the  stalks  and  twigs  were 
dead  and  dry.  We  went  smash  amongst  these,  brushing 
off  our  hats,  scratching  our  hands  and  faces,  and  filling 
our  eyes  with  dirt,  and  the  boat  with  grass  and  leaves  ! 
The  water  was  deep  —  six  or  eight  feet  —  clean  under  the 
bank.  We  went  round  and  round,  first  one  end,  then  the 
other,  smashing  through  the  alders,  and  brought  up  with 
a  thump  against  a  fir-trunk  that  had  fallen  out  into  the 
stream.  The  current  still  pushing  us  sharply,  the  boat 
tipped  to  one  side.  The  water  slopped  in.  We  were 
stranded.  Somebody  let  fly  a  few  rather  bad  words,  as 
we  went  through  the  alders,  of  which  I,  for  one,  felt 
ashamed  afterwards.  This  swearing  over  a  mishap  is  a 
wicked  waste  of  breath,  —  and  a  very  vulgar,  foolish 
waste,  to  boot.  But  it  was  aggravating,  as  well  as  peril- 
ous. 

"  Worsted  us  again  !  "  muttered  Fred,  winking  the  dirt 
out  of  his  eyes.  "  Only  look  at  the  grass  we've  shipped. 
Hay  enough  for  a  shake-down." 


"SNEAKING  UP."  57 

"  And  alderbrush  enough  for  a  camp-fire,"  add<  d  Scott. 

Farr  was  bailing  out  the  water. 

"  Well,  what  are  we  going  to  do  now  ? "  he  demanded. 
"Here  we  are — beached." 

"  We  never  can  get  up  this  rapid  in  the  world  !  "  exclaimed 
Scott,  as  if  fully  convinced  of  it.  * 

"  I  think  we  might  do  it  next  time,"  said  Fred. 

"  Oh,  we  never  could  !  "  cried  Scott.  "  It's  too  strong  for 
us." 

"  It  would  be  about  all  we  could  do,  any  way,"  Farr  ob- 
served. "  But  I  believe  we  can  sneak  up  beside  these  alders." 

"How's  that?"  I  said. 

"  Let  two  of  us  grab  hold  of  the  bushes  and  pull  the  boat 
along,  foot  by  foot,  while  the  others  fend  off,"  exclaimed  Farr. 
"  I  think  we  can  work  along  up  in  that  way.  If  we  can't  do 
it  so,  we  can't  at  all." 

"We  can  but  try  that,"  said  Fred.  "We  can't  be  much 
worse  off." 

Scott  and  I  took  each  an  oar,  in  order  to  hold  the  boat  off 
from  the  brush  as  much  as  possible.  Fred  and  Farr  lay  hold 
of  the  green  alder  twigs  that  hung  out  over  the  water.  First 
one  would  pull,  then  the  other ;  each  being  sure  not  to  let 
go  his  hold  till  the  other  had  got  a  new  one.  It  was  slow 
work,  but  tolerably  sure.  We  gained  foot  after  foot,  and 
did  not  lose.  It  was  not  a  very  stylish  way,  but  like  many 
another  not  particularly  stylish  method,  it  succeeded.  We 
got  up  —  after  a  while  —  past  the  brink  of  the  rapid,  into 
smooth  water. 


58  TIRED   OUT. 

In  commemoration  of  our  exploit,  we  called  the  place  Al- 
der-Grab Rapids. 

Fifty  rods  farther  on,  we  came  out  to  cleared  fields  on  both 
sides  of  the  river ;  but  a  few  minutes  later,  and  on  rounding 
a  bend,  we  found  ourselves  at  the  foot  of  another  rapid,  so 
much  longer  and  rougher  than  the  one  we  had  but  barely 
conquered,  that  we  immediately  gave  up  the  idea  of  going  up 
it.  There  was  heard,  too,  the  roar  of  a  heavy  cataract  not 
far  above. 

"That  must  be  Escohos  Falls,"  said  Fred,  stopping  to  lis- 
ten. "We  might  as  well  land  here.  We  can't  go  much 
farther,  anyhow.  We  shall  have  to  carry  round  it." 

Accordingly  we  landed  at  a  place  where  there  was  a  cart- 
track  leading  down  to  a  ford,  at  low  water,  and  drew  up  the 
boat.  It  was  time,  too.  The  sun  had  set.  Only  its  last  rays 
shone  on  the  bald  cap  of  Mount  Escohos,  that  towered  to  the 
east  of  us.  We  were  tired  out.  Our  hands  were  badly  blis- 
tered, particularly  Scott's.  We  felt  cross. 

We  meant  to  camp  on  the  spot.  While  Fair  and  Fred 
were  setting  up  the  tent,  however,  Scott  and  myself  went  to 
attack  an  old  pine  stump  for  fuel  on  the  hill  above,  and  from 
that  point  espied  a  house  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  away. 
It  was  immediately  determined  to  go  to  the  house  and  see 
what  could  be  done  there.  We  had  no  romantic  nonsense 
about  camping  out.  We  much  preferred  a  house  when  there 
was  one  to  be  reached,  and  set  off  at  once,  following  the  old 
cart-road.  Fred  took  his  gun. 

There  was  a  barn  as  well  as  a  house,  both  enclosed  by  a 


A    DESERTED    HOUSE.  59 

fence  of  rails  and. logs;  altogether  a  very  dilapidated  estab- 
lishment. The  house  was  a  sprawling,  one-story  affair,  only 
partially  shingled.  There  were  no  curtains  to  the  six-pane 
windows ;  and  we  found,  as  we  had  suspected  while  yet  at 
some  distance,  that  it  was  deserted,  —  empty,  but  neither 
"  swept "  nor  "  garnished."  The  yard  was  full  of  tall  thistles, 
with  down  blowing  about  in  the  wind.  The  door,  hah0  un- 
hinged, stood  partly  agape,  and  among  the  thistles  not  a  yard 
from  the  log  door-step,  a  partridge  began  to  "  quit "  at  our 
approach.  Fred  shot  it  promptly. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  Desolate  Dwelling.  —  We  Camp  in  the  Old  House.  —  Hay  Shake- 
downs.—A  Bloody  Axe.  — The  House  Afire!  — A  Spoiled  Sup- 
per. —  A  fresh  "  Spread  " — Another  Fire  Alarm.  —  The  Chimney 
Afire.  —  Fireworks  on  a  Grand  Scale!  —  Some  Mysterious  Explo- 
sions!—  Pour  on  Water.  —  The  Chimney  Subsides.  —  We  go  to 
Bed  on  a  Hay-mow. 

r  I  THE  house  inside  was  a  picture  of  desolation.  Dirt, 
JL  soot,  and  old  bricks  lay  about  in  quantities.  There 
were  two  rooms  on  the  ground  floor.  One  of  these  had  been 
plastered,  but  the  plaster  was  half  off  it  and  covered  the  floor. 
There  was  a  queer  odor  about  the  place,  —  the  odor  of  that 
irregular  combination  of  ingredients  known  as  "  gurry."  Some 
ruffian  had  smashed  the  chamber  stairs  with  an  axe ;  (we  knew 
it  was  with  an  axe,  for  there  lay  the  axe,  a  particularly  rusty 
and  ugly  one,  with  blood  stains  on  it) .  So  we  did  not  at 
once  go  up  chamber. 

•     The  out-look  was  not  inviting ;  no  more  was  the  /«-look. 
Nevertheless,  we  at  once  decided  to  camp  in  the  house. 

"  But  somebody  has  got  to  go  back  to  the  boat  after  stuff," 
Fred  remarked. 

Nobody  wanted  that  commission.     Tired  as  we  were,  it 
seemed  a  dreadful  job.     Each  one,  even  Spot,  looked  glum. 


THE   OLD   HOUSE.  6l 

"  Must  be  done,"  Fred  argued. 

Everybody  looked  glummer.  [Glummer  may  or  may 
not  be  good  English.] 

"  Draw  lots  for  it,  then,"  urged  Fred. 

"  That's  fair,"  Scott  admitted :  generally  his  luck  is  won- 
derful. 

Fred  broke  four  bits  off  a  straw  of  herdsgrass. 

We  drew. 

Greatly  to  his  disgust  Scott  got  the  short  one.  He  mut- 
tered evil  things.  At  that,  Fred  magnanimously  offered  to 
go  with  him.  They  set  off  on  a  tired  trot,  charging  us  to 
kindle  a  fire ;  for  it  was  already  dusk. 

There  was  a  fireplace,  but  no  andirons.  Farr  remedied 
this  deficit,  however,  by  setting  up  loose  bricks.  Fred  had 
left  us  two  matches.  We  broke  up  three  or  four  rails  from 
the  straggling  fence  with  the  bloody  axe  (I  hope  it  was  the 
blood  of  nothing  nearer  man  than  a  yearling),  and  soon  had 
the  deserted  hearth  aglow.  I  then  started  for  the  barn,  to 
get  hay  for  a  bed  before  it  should  grow  quite  dark. 

The  old  barn-yard  was  also  filled  with  thistles,  only 
these  were  bull  thistles  instead  of  Canada  thistles ;  and 
here  I  started  up  two  more  partridges.  I  might  have  shot 
them  as  well  as  not,  for  they  ran  a  rod  or  more  before 
flying. 

That's  always  the  way.  If  you  want  to  see  game,  leave 
your  gun  at  home. 

Hearing  the  gun  when  Fred  shot  the  first,  these  two  had 
probably  hidden  here. 


62  THE    HOUSE   AFIRE. 

Somebody  had  cut  and  stored  several  tons  of  hay  in  the 
barn  the  previous  summer.  I  helped  myself,  bringing 
along  as  much  as  I  could  get  in  my  arms  at  two  loads. 
It  filled  the  whole  back  side  of  the  room,  and  considered 
as  a  bed,  looked  tempting. 

Fred  and  Scott  came  back,  toiling  under  the  weight  of 
kettle,  frying-pan,  meat,  meal,  flour,  and  potatoes.  Fred 
had  also  taken  along  our  four  woollen  blankets. 

Water  was  then  brought  from  a  spring  and  rill,  where 
an  old  barrel  had  been  set  in  days  past.  While  Fred  and 
Scott  rested  on  the  hay,  Farr  and  myself  got  on  meat  to 
fry  and  potatoes  to  boil,  and  we  were  meditating  a  hasty 
pudding,  when  Scott  cried,  "  Hark  !  what's  that  rumbling 
and  roaring !  " 

The  old  house  had  got  afire  up  chamber,  about  the 
ill-constructed  chimney !  Then  there  was  a  lively  to-do  ! 

"  Fire !  fire  !  "  Farr  began  to  roar. 

We  had  to  take  the  potato-kettle,  with  all  in  it,  to  throw 
water.  It  was  blazing  like  mad  up  through  the  roof  on 
the  outside.  Fred  got  a  rail  and  climbed  up  by  it  upon 
the  roof  (the  eaves  were  low),  and  we  passed  up  to  him 
kettleful  after  kettleful  of  water. 

He  put  it  out  without  much  difficulty.  But  that  was 
not  the  worst  of  it.  On  going  inside  again,  we  found  that 
the  water  had  run  down,  well  nigh  extinguishing  the  fire 
in  the  fireplace,  and  filling  the  spider  of  meat  with  wet 
cinders  and  soot.  There  was  a  dismal  puddle  on  the 
floor,  and  it  had  run  under  the  hay,  thereby  spoiling  our 
bed  utterly. 


A   SPOILED   SUPPER.  63 

However,  we  had  faced  worse  disasters  than  this. 
Fred  fell  to  work  to  reproduce  supper.  Farr  and  I 
mopped  up,  using  the  hay,  which  we  threw  out  and  then 
got  a  fresh  supply  from  the  barn.  Scott  watched  the 
house. 

These  mishaps  delayed  us  so  much  that  it  was  towards 
eight  o'clock  before  supper  was  cooked,  including  the 
hasty  pudding,  which  we  ate  with  sugar  only ;  for  Scott 
was  forever  preaching  against  eating  so  much  grease.  He 
thought  it  highly  injurious ;  and  perhaps  it  was.  It  had 
been  long  since  our  noon  lunch,  and  we  had  labored  so 
smartly,  that  we  were  ravenous,  and  stuffed  ourselves  so 
industriously,  that  together  with  our  fatigue  we  nearly 
dropped  asleep  over  the  last  potato.  Scott,  however,  had 
been  in  jeopardy  lest  the  damp  floor  should  give  us  our 
death.  He  roused  up  and  strenuously  insisted  on  a  good 
rousing  fire  to  dry  up  the  moisture.  None  the  rest  of  us 
would  stir  an  inch  to  break  up  more  rails.  So  he  went  at 
it  himself,  and  built  what  he  called  a  "good  rousing-" 
one,  I  suppose,  for  I  was  already  in  a  drowse.  And  an- 
other nice  fracas  that  cost  us  !  Old  Scratch  himself  was 
in  our  luck  that  night.  We  were  not  ten  minutes  asleep, 
when  another  "  rumbling  and  roaring  "  began.  First 
Fred,  then  all  of  us,  jumped  up,  suddenly  disturbed  by  it. 

"  House's  afire  again  ! "  Fred  shouted. 

But  it  wasn't  the  house  this  time  ;  it  was  the  chimney. 
The  old  thing  was  foul  as  a  blackguard,  no  doubt.  Very 
likely  it  had  never  been  burned  out  and  was  chock  full  of 
soot.  Scott's  rousing  fire  had  touched  it  off. 


64 


THE   CHIMNEY   AFIRE. 


How  it  roared  !  We  sat  aghast  at  it.  A  big  freight 
train  rumbling  over  a  long  bridge  was  all  I  could 
think  of.  Perceiving  a  mighty  illumination  outside,  we 
ran  out.  There  was  a  sight  for  a  dark  night !  The  place 


'IT  WAS   THE   CHIMNEY. 


was  light  as  day !  A  column  of  fire  was  going  out  the  top 
of  that  old  chimney,  twenty  feet  high,  if  it  was  an  inch  ! 
I  never  saw  any  thing  like  that  before.  And  the  air  fairly 
sung  in  through  the  old  door,  it  drew  so  hard.  It  was 


FIREWORKS   ON    A   GRAND   SCALE.  65 

clazzlingly  bright,  and  gained  strength  every  minute.  The 
column  eveli  grew  in  height.  Great  red  clots  of  soot  flew 
up  like  rockets  ;  and  a  shower  of  sparks  and  cinders  was 
falling.  Before  we  knew  it,  the  old  roof  was  blazing  in 
three  or  four  places.  Farr  ran  for  the  potato-kettle,  and 
we  threw  water  fast  and  hard.  We  soon  put  out  the 
fire  in  the  shingles.  Fred  meanwhile  had  climbed  up 
into  the  chamber  by  the  ruins  of  the  old  stairs,  and 
was  calling  to  bring  water  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  It  had 
caught  all  around  the  chamber  floor,  and  about  the  roof 
beneath.  Then  we  worked  again.  Water  in  the  kettle, 
in  the  frying-pan,  and  in  both  of  Scott's  rubber  boots,  as 
fast  as  we  could  all  three  run  with  it !  and  Fred  up  cham- 
ber dousing  it  on  the  fire  !  The  chamber  floor  leaked  like 
a  thunder  shower,  and  there  was  a  stench  of  soot  so  pun- 
gently  powerful  that  it  was  like  facing  a  pepper  mill  to 
enter  the  door. 

Fred  put  out  the  fire. 

"But  this  chimney's  red  hot !"  he  shouted  down' to  us. 
"  Hisses  like  a  demon,  when  the  water  touches  it !  Pass 
up  another  ke'ttleful ;  I'll  stand  ready  to  throw." 

Farr  had  run  to  put  out  another  blaze  on  the  outside  of 
the  roof ;  and  Scott  and  I  were  hoisting  up  the  kettle  to 
Fred,  when  there  came  a  report  as  loud  as  a  gun  from 
near  the  fireplace  !  It  was  from  inside  the  old  brick  and 
stone  oven  ;  and  it  blew  the  oven  door  off  its  leather 
hinges  clear  across  the  room  ! 

Whether  there  was  powder,  or  any  thing  of  that  sort,  in 
5 


66  SOME   MYSTERIOUS    EXPLOSIONS. 

the  oven  left  there,  or  whether  it  was  gas  from  the  soot 
that  exploded,  we  could  not  find  out.  Fred  came  down 
the  staircase  at  a  jump. 

"  If  this  old  shebang  is  going  to  blow  up ! "  said  he, 
"I'll  be  getting  down.  I  believe  it's  haunted,  or  be- 
witched I " 

The  oven  was  aglow  with  soot-coal  that  had  tumbled 
down  the  flue  ;  but  we  could  detect  nothing  else ;  and  yet 
we  had  hardly  turned  away  before  there  came  a  second 
explosion,  that  blew  the  glowing  coal  out  the  mouth  and 
all  over  the  room.  We  did  not  know  what  to  make  of 
that, —  never  have  known.  Scientific  students,  perhaps, 
can  account  for  it. 

This  thing  disturbed  us  worse  than  all  the  rest.  We 
kept  well  out  of  the  range  of  the  oven-mouth  after  that. 

It  went  off  once  or  twice  afterwards,  but  not  so  loud. 

Gradually  the  pillar  of  fire  from  the  chimney  went 
down ;  though  it  burned  an  hour  or  over  in  all.  If  any- 
body saw  it  at  a  distance,  it  must  have  been  an  astonishing 
spectacle.  Once  or  twice  while  we  were  carrying  water,  I 
heard  the  surprised  cries  of  wild  animals  from  the  side  of 
Escohos.  Poor  Spot  had  retreated  out  to  the  water-barrel, 
where  he  greeted  us  each  time  we  came  out  with  imploring 
wags  of  his  tail ;  and  once  when  the  thistles  in  the  yard 
had  caught  fire,  he  howled  dolorously. 

The  flames  subsided,  but  for  a  long  while  the  inside  of 
the  chimney  remained  in  a  bright  red  coal.  It  shone  up 
into  the  air ;  and  the  great  draught  continued  to  set  up 


THE   CHIMNEY  SUBSIDES.  67 

the  flue.  It  had  got  so  hot  that  we  did  not  dare  to  leave 
it,  and  so  sat  up  and  watched  it. 

Finally  Fred  climbed  up  from  the  outside  and  threw  a 
fry-pan  of  water  into  it,  at  the  top.  This  raised  a  prodig- 
ious hissing  ;  and  a  vast  volume  of  steam  flew  up.  But 
a  few  fry-panfuls  sensibly  cooled  it,  or  at  least,  blackened 
it ;  for  the  fierce  glow  died  out.  Darkness  gathered  in. 

The  fire  place  was  drenched  with  water,  the  hay  soaked 
ten  times  worse  than  before ;  and  the  chamber  floor 
dripped  like  a  subterranean  cavern.  The  house  was 
quite  unhabitable. 

"  Let's  go  to  the  barn,"  said  Farr ;  "  and  try  that." 

"  It's  long  past  midnight,"  Scott  declared. 

We  brushed  through  the  bull-thistles,  shoved  the  lean-to 
door  open,  and  felt  our  way  to  the  mow.  Into  ttis  we 
crept,  and  burying  ourselves  in  the  hay,  soon  dropped 
asleep. 

Altogether  that  was  an  exhausting  day. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Farr  Labors  at  Keel-hauling. —A  Venerable  Darn-needle.  —  Mount 
Escohos. —  Wilson's  Mills.  — A  Big  Dog!— Mrs.  "Spoff."  — 
The  Escohos  "Carry."  — French  Pete.  —  " fferret  Jinny!"  — 
Three  Dollars  to  Pay.  —  The  Half-moon.  —  A  Rough  and  Mud- 
dy Trail.  —  Slows.  —  Pete's  Ruse.  —  "  Watch  ! "  —  Escohos  Falls. 
—  A  Wild  looking  Place.  —Jack  Abram's  Spruce.  —  Pete  Shakes 
Hands. 

WHEN  I  unglued  my  eyes  next  morning,  it  was 
broad  day-light  out  of  doors.  Farr  was  sitting 
dn  on  end,  very  busily  engaged.  I  had  to  look  twice  be- 
fore Ifully  comprehended  the  extent  and  design  of  his 
labors,  —  and  so  would  you,  reader. 

He  was  keel-hauling  his  pants.  He  had  ravelled  out 
about  four  inches  of  the  leg  of  one  of  his  knit  stockings,  and 
was  darning  the  seat  of  his  pants  with  the  yarn.  There 
was  ingenuity  and  resource  ! 

Seeing  me  awake  and  attentive,  he  grinned  sardoni- 
cally. 

"  What's  the  use  of  legs  to  stockings  ? "  said  he,  with  a  fine 
scorn  in  his  tone,  "  unless  you  use  them  for  repairs.  They 
do  no  good.  Always  getting  wet,  and  then  staying  wet 
around  your  shanks." 


FARR   LABORS   AT   KEEL-HAULING.  69 

"  But  they're  handy  things  to  have  about  one,"  he  added, 
after  a  pause  filled  with  long  stitches. 

"Wherever  did  you  get  that  darn-needle  ? "  I  inquired. 

"  Oh,  that's  the  one  I've  always  had,"  replied  the  repairer. 
"  That's  another  handy  thing  to  have,  —  a  darn-needle  \ 
good  for  splinters,  good  for  mending,  good  for  picking  out 
the  tube  of  your  gun,  good  for  a  hundred  things.  I 
wouldn't  travel  without  one.  Why,  a  darn-needle's  a  thing 
you  can  fall  back  on  most  any  time." 

Ah,  it  was  grim  business  to  stir  and  get  up  that  morning. 
We  were  sore,  lame,  stiff,  and  felt  old  all  over:  we  had 
over-exerted  ourselves.  Too  much  exercise  •  is  not  quite 
so  bad  as  none  at  all,  however ;  it  leaves  one  tougher  for 
next  time. 

Scott  got  up  cross  and  grumbled  at  every  thing,  till  Farr 
sung  out  to  him,  "  Look  o'  here,  you  man  that  fired  the 
chimney,  shut  up  ! " 

Fred,  too,  was  rather  quiet  that  morning,  but  busied  him- 
self getting  breakfast.  We  built  a  fire  out  in  the  yard ;  we 
had  had  enough  of  the  house.  Our  wet  blankets  we  hung 
on  the  fence  to  dry  in  the  brisk  morning  breeze. 

Fred  made  another  batch  of  "  flippers ; "  and  those, 
with  coffee,  brightened  us  up  a  good  deal. 

Leaving  our  kitchen  property  at  the  house,  we  all  four 
set  off  in  the  direction  of  the  falls  to  "  prospect "  for  a 
team  to  draw  our  boat  across  the  carry.  There  was  what 
the  Magallowayans  call  a  road  ;  though  it  might  have 
found  difficulty  in  passing  as  such  almost  anywhere  else. 


70  WILSON'S  MILLS. 

We  followed  it  confidently.  Wilson's  Mills  were  some- 
'where  ahead. 

The  path  crooked  about  among  spruce  and  fir  thickets. 
Quite  suddenly,  we  met  a  dog  —  a  monster — so  big 
that  we  all  involuntarily  shied  from  him.  He  was  brin- 
dled and  had  a  mighty  pink  muzzle  and  fine  surly  eyes, 
out  of  which  he  merely  threw  us  a  passing  glance.  Spot 
cut  out  into  the  bushes  and  made  a  great  circle  around 
him. 

"Heavens!  what  a  dog!  "  Scott  exclaimed,  glancing  civ- 
illy back  after  him.  "  The  biggest  dog  I  ever  saw  in  all 
my  life!" 

"  Brought  up  on  bear's  meat,"  Farr  suggested. 

Another  turn  brought  us  out  in  sight  of  two  red  houses, 
three  barns  and  a  school-house,  the  latter  so  small  that  at 
first  we  took  it  for  a  corn-crib.  We  made  for  the  first  red 
house,  and  a  very  comfortable  sort  of  house  it  was,  for  the 
region.  A  bright-looking  little  fellow  stood  in  the  door- 
way ;  but  before  we  had  got  quite  near  enough  to  accost 
him,  three  more  dogs  rushed  out,  each  larger  than  the 
other  ;  though  none  of  them  quite  equalled  the  one  we  had 
met.  Catching  sight  of  Spot,  they  made  for  him,  barking 
and  growling  like  furies.  Spot  wedged  himself  betwixt 
Farr's  legs,  and  having  no  farther  retreat,  growled  defiance. 
Fred  clubbed  his  long  shot-gun,  and  whirling  it  around  in 
a  lively  manner,  knocked  the  smallest  one  over,  and  put 
the  others  to  flight. 

The  little  boy  looked  on  dispassionately.     I  was  glad  to 


"MRS.    SPOFF."  71 

see  that  he  appeared  to  regard  it  as  a  proper  thing 
to  do. 

Said  Scott,  "What's  your  name,  my  boy?  " 

"  I'm  not  your  boy,"  said  the  child.     "  I'm  papa's  boy." 

"Right.     What  is  your  papa's  name?" 

"  His  name  is  Spoff." 

"Yes,  —  and  is  Mr.  Spoff  at  home  ?" 

Something  about  this  prefix  of  Mr.  seemed  to  strike  the 
boy  as  not  being  just  right,  but  he  got  over  it  and  told  us 
that  "  Spoff  "  was  gone  up  the  Diamond. 

At  this  juncture  a  young  woman  came  to  the  door.  A 
glance  indicated  that  it  was  the  boy's  mother.  Scott 
raised  his  cap. 

"  Good-morning,  Mrs.  Spoff,"  said  he.  "  The  little  boy 
tells  me  that  Mr.  Spoff  is  not  at  home." 

A  little  to  our  surprise,  the  lady  first  smiled,  then  laughed 
merrily. 

"Did  Frankie  tell  them  papa's  name  was  Spoff?"  look- 
ing with  arch  reproof  into  the  little  fellow's  upturned  face, 
while  she  playfully  rumpled  his  hair. 

Then  she  explained  to  us,  —  "  My  husband's  name  is 
Flint,  —  Spofford  Flint.  But  persons  sometimes  call  him 
Spoff,  for  short.  That's  what  Frankie  has  got  hold  of." 

Scott  begged  pardon. 

"  Why,  it  was  Frankie's  mistake,"  she  said. 

A  very  pretty  woman  was  Mrs.  Flint.  Finer  eyes  I 
have  rarely  seen.  Her  air  and  manners  were  those  of  a 
lady  She  was  frank  and  agreeable.  We  supposed,  at 


72  THE    ESCOHOS    "CARRY." 

the  time,  that  she  had  not  always  resided  on  tho  Magallo 
way ;  but  I  have  since  learned  that  we  were  wrong  in  out 
surmise.  Well,  Nature  can  make  a  lady  as  wel/  as  good 
society,  and  now  and  then  does. 

Scott  explained  that  we  were  wishing  to  pass  the  falls, 
and  had  hoped  to  be  able  to  make  a  bargain  with  Mr. 
Flint  to  draw  our  boat  over  the  carry. 

"  I  can  have  it  done  for  you,"  said  she,  promptly  "  Do 
you  wish  to  go  over  immediately  ?  " 

We  did. 

"  Very  well ;  walk  in,  please,  and  wait  a  few  moments, 
till  I  can  send  our  man." 

But  we  thought  it  better  to  return  at  once  to  the  boat, 
to  get  it  out  of  the  river  and  pack  up  our  luggage.  This 
we  did,  and  had  hardly  done  so,  when  the  man,  "  Pete," 
(whom  we  had  heard  Mrs.  Flint  call)  made  his  appearance, 
leading  a  strong  black  mare  harnessed  to  a  long  cart. 
Pete  was  a  French  Canadian,  of  the  prevailing  pattern  ; 
and  the  black  mare  was  a  veritable  Tartar,  bearing  the 
pretty  name  of  Jenny. 

'Twas  a  round  load  for  her :  that  heavy  boat  with  all 
our  traps  and  bags.  All  the  time  we  were  loading  and 
lashing  the  boat  fast  with  many  turns  of  the  rope,  Jenny 
kept  turning  the  white  of  a  vicious  eye  round  to  us.  She 
highly  disapproved  of  the  whole  proceedings.  On  getting 
the  word  to  go,  the  gentle  brute  instantly  let  fly  her  heels 
high  over  the  load,  and  went  the  wrong  way,  to  wit,  back- 
wards, and  came  near  depositing  the  cart  in  the  rapids,  at 
the  outset. 


FRENCH    PETE.  73 

But  Pete  was  not  wholly  unprepared.  He  clubbed  the 
white  oak  whip-stock,  and  laid  the  heavy  end  across  the 
recalcitrant  Jenny.  "  Her ret,  Jenn&y  !  Herret!"  he 
screamed. 

He  knew  only  three  or  four  English  words  ;  but  had 
fully  mastered  our  great  national  oath.  This  he  bestowed 
on  '  Jennay  "  without  stint. 

"  Isn't  it  strange  that  that  is  the  first  thing  these  fellows 
learn  of  our  talk  ? "  Fred  said  to  me  as  we  followed  after 
the  cart.  "  Never  saw  one  so  green  yet  but  that  he  knew 
so  much  English." 

Mrs.  Flint  was  in  the  yard  as  we  came  along  the  road 
past  the  house.  We  stopped  to  pay  for  the  job  of  drawing 
the  boat 

"  Three  dollars,"  she  said,  was  what  they  had  for  taking 
a  boat  over  the  carry. 

With  "Spoff ''  himself  we  might  have  chaffered  for  less,  — 
not  with  her.  Fred  and  I  paid  it,  with  cheerful  alacrity, 
between  us ;  though  it  reduced  our  united  capital  to  two 
dollars,  twenty-five  cents. 

A  little  beyond  the  Flints,  the  carry  path  diverges  from 
the  road,  and  leads  up  through  a  pasture  for  a  hundred 
rods  or  more,  then  enters  the  woods.  This  pasture  is  the 
extreme  limits  of  the  cleared  land  on  the  river.  Beyond 
it  lay  the  great  wilderness.  At  this  place  the  Magalloway 
falls  over  a  long  succession  of  ledges  down  'the  ravine  be- 
tween Escohos  and  "  Parker  Hill,"  so  called.  I  do  not  know 
th?t  the  entire  height  of  the  fall  has  ever  been  calculated. 


74  A   ROUGH   AND   MUDDY   TRAIL. 

For  a  guess,  I  should  place  it  at  from  two  hundred  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

It  is  a  great  place  for  trout-fishing. 

The  carry  is  two  and  a  half  miles  in  length.  As  you  go 
up  through  the  pasture  from  Flint's,  there  is  a  good  view 
of  the  river  valley  below,  and  of  a  great  semi-circular 
black  mountain  to  the  west  of  it,  called  the  "  Half-moon." 
From  the  top  of  Escohos,  there  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
best  views  to  be  had  from  any  mountain  in  New  England. 
Some  tourists  think  it  superior  to  that  from  Mount  Wash- 
ington. 

But  we  had  no  time  to  climb  mountains  for  fine  views. 
Our  business  was  of  a  much  more  practical  character.  It 
was  not,  however,  without  some  regrets  and  secret  misgiv- 
ings that  we  turned  for  a  last  look  at  the  houses  in  the 
valley  below  us,  then  entered  the  woods.  From  this  point 
to  the  head  of  Parmachenee  it  is  forty-six  miles.  The 
vast  wilderness  before  us  was  not  without  its  charm,  nor 
yet  its  aspect  of  peril  and  mystery. 

Feelings  of  this  sort  were  straightly  banished  by  the 
more  exciting  details  of  the  way.  On  entering  the  forest, 
the  trail  at  once  changed  from  a  dry,  though  rough,  cart- 
road  to  an  exceedingly  wet  and  muddy  one.  Sloughs  of 
muck  began  to  disclose  themselves.  Roaring  brooks 
which  dashed  across  the  path  had  dug  it  asunder  in  the 
midst,  leaving  great  stones  plump  in  the  way.  About, 
among,  athwart  and  over  these  Jenndy  leaped  and 
plunged  like  a  wood-demon.  Every  thing  not  lashed  in 


THE    CARRY. 


PETE'S  RUSE.  75 

the  strongest  manner,  was  speedily  shaken  off.  At  inter- 
vals of  six  or  eight  rods  we  would  have  to  re-bestow  the 
load.  That  the  cart  held  together  was  a  growing 
wonder ! 

Pete  drove  —  when  he  could  keep  up.  Farr  and  Scott 
ran  on  the  off  side,  to  hold  the  load  on.  Fred  and  I 
sought  to  do  the  same  thing  on  the  other  side.  Some- 
times we  did  it,  sometimes  we  did  not.  The  mare  went 
by  starts  and  jerks  ;  and  there  was  no  knowing  when  she 
meant  to  start,  or  when  she  meant  to  stop,  after  starting. 
She  had,  moreover,  a  most  peculiar  and  effective  way  of 
hurling  the  mud  from  her  hoofs.  It  was  impossible  to 
dodge  it ;  so  we  hung  to  the  load  and  took  what  came  to 
us.  But  there  was  spitting!  I  recollect  that  one  lump, 
large  as  one's  two  fists  and  soft  as  pig's  grease,  took  Scott 
olump  on  the  mouth.  He'  let  go,  sputtered,  and  fairly 


At  length  we  came  to  a  slough  so  soft  and  long  that 
Pete  stopped. 

"  No  passeY'  he  said.  "  Hattie  (Mrs.  Flint)  not  know 
dees ! " 

Scott  and  Farr  argued,  urged,  and  raged  at  him.  Pete 
would  not  start  the  horse.  It  did  no  good  to  tell  him  we 
had  paid  to  be  carried  across.  He  did  not,  or  else  would 
not,  understand  it. 

"Let's  take  the  reins  away  from  him  and  drive  through 
ourselves,"  Farr  said. 

But  that  seemed  a  rather  summary  way  of  behaving. 


76  "  WATCH." 

Besides,  if  we  should  get  Jenny  irretrievably  mired,  the 
responsibility  would  lie  with  us.  Fred  quietly  drew  Pete 
aside  and  took  out  his  wallet.  First  he  showed  him  twen- 
ty-five cents.  Pete  brightened  a  little,  but  shook  his  head. 
Fred  judiciously  hesitated  awhile,  then  took  out  a  fifty 
cent  bill.  Pete  was  shrewd.  Having  seen  that  Fred  had 
a  fifty  and  a  twenty-five  cent  scrip,  he  at  once  set  his 
price. 

"  Seventy-five  cent !  "  he  said,  and  stuck  for  that. 

Fair  was  for  pitching  him  into  the  slough  without 
further  ado. 

Scott  thought  we  had  best  go  back  to  get  authority  from 
Mrs.  Flint.  But  the  distance  was  nearly  two  miles ;  and  the 
road  was  fearful.  We  shrank,  too,  from  involving  her  in 
the  fuss,  though  it  was  clearly  one  in  which  she  was  inter- 
ested. 

On  the  whole,  we  concluded  to  give  Pete  his  "  seventy- 
five  cent " ;  but  Farr  declared  that  he  would  thrash  him 
as  soon  as  we  came  out  to  the  river.  Peter  was  more  or 
less  of  a  swindler.  On  getting  the  money,  however,  he  at 
once  started  Jenny  into  the  slough.  And  in  the  tussle 
that  followed,  we  nearly  forgave  the  Frenchman  :  that  was 
a  slough  such  as  John  Bunyan  might  have  parabled. 
If  Jenny  had  not  been  a  most  remarkable  animal,  we 
should  have  stuck  there  for  good. 

Once  out  of  this  slough,  however,  the  way  improved. 
We  had  reached  the  height  of  land,  and  now  turned  down 
the  heavily-wooded  slope  toward  the  river.  But  we  had 


A    WILD-LOOKING    PLACE.  77 

lost  a  lynch-pin  from  the  hind  axle  ;  and  while  in  full  ca- 
reer, the  wheel  rolled  off  !  It  was  put  on  again ;  but  the 
wooden  pins  we  substituted  kept  breaking. 

"  Watch !  "  Pete  admonished,  pointing  to  it.     "  Watch !  " 

Fred  watched,  with  fresh  pins  ready. 

The  upper  end  of  the  falls,  where  we  came  out  of  the 
carry  road  a  few  minutes  later,  is  a  very  wild-looking 
place. 

The  stream,  black  as  ink  and  overhung  with  straggling 
spruce,  rolls  tumultuously  down  over  huge  stones.  The  roar 
is  heavy  and  continuous.  Some  of  the  "pitches"  show  a 
perpendicular  fall  of  twenty  feet  or  more.  In  one  of 
these  a  lumberman  had  been  drowned  the  previous  spring. 
His  name  (Jack  Abram)  is  cut  in  a  spruce  trunk  at  the 
foot  of  the  pitch. 

Above  this  point  there  is  smooth  water  up  to  "The 
Narrows,"  ten  miles. 

The  boat  was  taken  off  the  cart  and  launched,  and  the 
luggage  stowed  as  before.  Jenny's  head  was  then  turned 
homeward.  She  was  covered  with  mud,  a  complete  crust 
of  it.  Scant  as  was  our  stock  of  potatoes,  Fred  gave  her 
a  couple.  Used  to  nothing  but  abuse  from  Pete,  the 
mare  was  manifestly  astonished.  She  looked  at  Fred  in 
a  singular  way,  —  but  took  the  potatoes. 

Pete  came  to  shake  hands  with  us  at  parting. 

"  Good-by,"  I  said  to  him. 

"  Goo'-by,"  said  he. 

But  Farr  would  not  shake  hands  with  him. 


78  PETE   SHAKES    HANDS. 

"  He's  a  skunk,  any  way,"  quoth  our  comrade ;  bu»  tie 
did  not  put  his  threat  of  thrashing  him  in  execution. 

For  my  own  part,  I  fancy  that  both  Pete  and  Jenny 
well  earned  all  the  money  they  got  from  us  ;  though  Pete's 
ruse  to  raise  the  price  was  a  little  irregular. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

No  Dinner.  —  The  Fir  Forest.  —  Fairly  Afloat  in  the  Wilderness.  — 
Herons.— The  Pretty  "Round  Woods."— A  Canada  Jay. —A 
Clearing  and  a  Loggers'  Shanty.  —  We  Resolved  to  Camp  in  it  — 
A  Bear.  —  Night  in  the  Woods.  —  A  Nocturnal  Disturbance.  — 
Scott  Shoots  through  the  Roof.  —  Spot's  Fright  —  The  Prowler 
Decamps.  —  A  Morning  Nap. 

T  T  was  half  past  two,  afternoon.  We  had  eaten  nothing 
JL  since  breakfast.  On  the  carry  we  had  felt  hungry;  but 
now  that  noon  had  past,  we  were  less  so,  and  decided  to 
go  on  for  a  couple  of  hours,  then  camp  for  the  night.  So 
much  for  a  well-established  habit  of  taking  our  dinner  at 
noon. 

Above  the  falls  the  river  averages  from  six  to  ten  rods 
in  width.  It  is  deep  and  black,  an  aspect  enhanced  by 
the  fir  forest  on  either  bank,  dark  green,  sombre,  and  pro- 
foundly quiet.  There  were  few  birds  here  at  this  season, 
or,  as  I  am  inclined  to  believe,  at  any  season.  The  most 
noticeable  feature  about  the  stream  is  its  silence.  ,The 
current  creeps  on  steadily.  If  you  stop  rowing,  it  drags 


8o  FAIRLY   AFLOAT   IN   THE   WILDERNESS. 

you  slowly  back ;  and  you  would  not  know  that  you  were 
drifting  unless  your  eye  caught  sight  of  a  twig,  or  a  bit  of 
bough,  coming  slowly  to  meet  you.  The  crooks  and  bends 
are  numerous;  but  the  forest  is  so  dense  here  that  one  can- 
not see  just  how  much  he  is  the  sport  of  them  ;  and  that  is 
one  comfort. 

As  we  paddled  on,  following  all  these  meanderings,  the 
impression  grew  that  we  might  get  so  involved  that  to 
get  out  would  be  impossible.  In  an  hour  we  had  faced 
every  point  of  the  compass.  The  general  course  of  the 
stream  is  from  north  to  south.  But  a  stranger  could  never 
have  guessed  it,  that  first  afternoon  above  the  falls.  The 
peaks  of  moderately  high  mountains  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  valley  were  from  time  to  time  to  be  seen  over  the  fir 
tops.  Escohos  was  alternately  behind  and  fronting  us ; 
then  to  left  or  right.  A  tall,  dark  hill,  known  as  Emery's 
Misery,  played  similar  tricks.  We  conjectured  at  random 
as  to  the  origin  of  this  odd  name.  Beaver  Hill,  a  pine- 
clad  ridge  to  the  east  of  the  valley,  was  more  easily  ac- 
counted for. 

Above  Escohos  we  saw  but  few  ducks,  and  these  at  a 
distance.  Not  a  duck  was  shot  till  we  arrived  on  the 
lake.  Occasionally  a  great  blue  heron  (Ardea  Herodias) 
would  start  up,  breaking  the  silence  with  its  heavy  flap- 
pings. Several  times  we  shot  after  them  in  the  air,  but 
never  brought  down  any  thing. 

At  rather  unfrequent  intervals,  a  kingfisher  would  spring 
his  ratt?e,  and  go  noisily  up  the  stream  in  advance  of  us. 


A   CANADA  JAY.  8 1 

But  Fred  assured  us  that  they  were  not  nearly  so  plenty 
here  as  on  the  upper  course  of  the  Androscoggin. 

Here  and  there  a  sluggish  brook  made  in  through  the 
bank,  showing  a  slim  channel  fringed  with  melancholy 
alders.  Another  shrub,  however,  began  to  attract  our 
attention,  and  from  henceforth  made  one  of  the  most 
agreeable  features  of  the  river  scenery.  Clinging  to  the 
bank  and  leaning  out  over  the  water,  we  now  began  to 
note  the  vivid  red  clusters  of  mountain  ash,  or  round-wood 
berries.  With  every  mile  they  grew  more  and  more  plen- 
tiful, till  sometimes  both  banks  presented  a  bright  scarlet 
border,  often  reflected  in  the  still  dark  water  with  wonder- 
<ul  fidelity. 

Here  for  the  first  time  we  saw  a  Canada  jay,  sitting 
observant  of  our  progress  on  a  fir  stub.  It  is  a  bird  not 
common  in  southern  Maine ;  not  so  handsome  as  its  con- 
gener, the  noisy  blue  jay,  though  of  about  the  same  size. 
Its  note  is  even  less  agreeable,  which  is  saying  little 
enough  for  it  as  a  musician.  Its  colors  are  brown  and 
white.  The  lumbermen  call  it  the  carrion  bird,  and  have 
also  bestowed  upon  it  two  other  names,  even  less  ornate. 

Scott  shot  at  the  first  one  we  saw,  with  the  rifle  from 
the  boat.  The  slug  struck  into  the  stub  directly  under 
where  it  had  perched,  and  this,  together  with  the  report, 
set  it  a-scolding  at  a  great  rate.  It  rose  a  yard  perhaps 
from  where  it  had  sat,  but  immediately  resumed  its  place. 
The  bird  is  not  nearly  as  shy  as  the  blue  jay. 

It  was  already  past  four  o'clock.     We  were  bethinking 


(2  A  LOGGERS  SHANTY. 

ourselves  of  stopping  to  camp,  when  Fred  called  our  at- 
tention to  what  seemed  an  opening  a  little  back  from  the 
river  on  the  east  bank.  We  drew  in  ashore ;  and  Farr 
mounted  the  bank,  which  was  higher  than  usual,  to  recon- 
noitre. 

"  Yes ;  there's  a  clearing,"  he  called  down  to  us.  "  It's 
where  they've  been  cutting  out  spruce.  And  there's  a 
shanty." 

"  What  say,  — shall  we  go  out  to  it? "  Fred  queried. 

I  was  afraid  that  it  might  be  lousy ;  but  the  others  did 
not  agree  with  me.  We  tied  the  boat  to  a  fir  trunk,  and 
took  out  our  ducks  and  the  partridge,  which  we  supposed 
had  been  kept  about  as  long  as  they  should  be,  together 
with  our  guns,  the  inevitable  and  never-to-be-left-behind 
potato  kettle,  fry-pan,  etc.  [These  utensils  are  always  un- 
derstood to  be  present  unless  forgotten.] 

The  shanty  was  on  rising  ground  about  a  hundred  rods 
from  the  stream.  It  was  built  of  spruce  logs  with  a  shed 
roof  of  pine  "splits,"  —  the  usual  shanty  of  the  backwoods, 
—  with  a  split  door,  secured  by  a  wooden  pin.  Farr  was 
ahead,  and  had  the  first  peep. 

"  Here's  luck  !"  he  sang  out  to  us. 

There  was  a  cooking-stove  all  set  up,  just  as  the  last  log- 
ging gang  had  left  it.  Possibly  they  intended  to  use  the 
shanty  during  the  coming  winter ;  for  there  was  a  barrel  halt 
full  of  salt  pork,  in  the  brine,  and  a  barrel  containing  beans ; 
also  a  small  quantity  of  tea  in  an  old  salt-box.  And  what 
we  liked  better  still,  they  had  nearly  half  a  cord  of  wood 


NIGHT   IN   THE   WOODS.  83 

cut  stove-length.  It  was  tiered  up  at  one  end  of  the  shanty, 
and  was  dry  as  tinder. 

To  get  supper  with  such  accommodations,  seemed  nothing 
but  fun. 

In  another  barrel,  Fred  speedily  unearthed  a  whole  set  of 
tin  plates,  cups,  basins,  and  baker-sheets. 

Half  an  hour  later  we  had  a  duck  and  a  partridge  par- 
boiling, potatoes  cooking,  and  a  batch  of  Horsford  biscuit 
baking.  The  old  stove,  with  its  front  doors  and  top  red  hot, 
had  a  most  home-like  aspect :  we  felt  quite  happy. 

That  was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  suppers  on  the  river. 
I  say  on  the  river,  since  it  could  not,  of  course,  compare 
with  some  of  those  sumptuous  barbecues  after  we  got  fairly 
established  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  No  meals  that  I  ever 
ate  could  indeed  compare  with  those.  For  then  we  had 
grand  living  and  grand  appetites  together. 

It  had  never  seemed  like  really  camping  in  the  wilderness, 
till  that  night.  Before,  when  we  had  camped  at  Moll's 
Rock,  we  knew  that  there  was  a  settlement  not  ten  miles 
above  us ;  but  here  we  knew  we  were  fairly  launched  in  the 
forest,  —  a  forest  that  extended  even  into  Canada  and  to  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  woods,  too,  had  a  different 
seeming.  A  wilder  quiet  rested  over  all,  broken  now  and 
then  by  wilder  sounds. 

While  we  were  eating,  a  bear  cried  out  from  the  hill-side, 
back  of  the  shanty :  a  plaintiff  cry,  like  that  of  some  forlorn 
and  benighted  maiden  wandering  in  the  darkening  forest. 
Neither  Scott  nor  myself  would  have  known  what  it  was,  but 
for  the  ready  interpretation  of  Fred's  practised  ear. 


84  *    NOCTURNAL    DISTURBANCE 

"  1  would  aot  wonder  if  we  might  get  a  shot  at  mm,  by 
all  starting  out  with  our  guns  and  getting  around  him,"  said 
he.  "As  soon  as  he  heard  any  one  of  us  he  would  run,  and 
make  such  a.  noise  in  the  brush  that  some  of  us  might  get  a 
shot." 

We  were  all  tired,  however ;  and  to  tell  the  truth,  did  not 
much  relish  the  idea  of  such  a  hunt  in  the  night.  Besides, 
there  was  some  danger  of  shooting  each  other  by  mistake. 

As  the  evening  advanced,  other  cries,  generally  at  a  con- 
siderable distance,  broke  the  stillness.  Various  prowlers 
were  abroad.  A  sharp,  raspy  screech  resounded  on  a  sudden, 
seemingly  from  near  where  we  had  tied  up  the  boat.  It 
made  us  start  sharply,  it  was  so  near  and  ugly.  The  next 
moment  it  was  followed  by  a  deep  tu-whit-tu-whooo-oo  ! 

"  Nothing  but  a  screech  owl,"  said  Fred. 

These  dense  fir  and  spruce  forests  on  the  river  seemed  a 
populous  haunt  of  owls. 

There  was  a  long  bunk,  bedded  with  boughs,  on  the  back 
side  of  the  shanty.  We  closed  and  pinned  the  door ;  then 
rolling  up  in  our  blankets,  lay  down  and  talked  till  we  fell 
asleep. 

But  along  in  the  night  we  were  awakened  by  a  great 
racket  on  the  roof  of  dry  splits  over  our  heads.  Something 
was  digging,  scratching,  and  tearing  them  up.  They  rattled 
prodigiously.  We  all  jumped  up  into  sitting  posture. 

"  What  on  earth  is  that?  "  demanded  Scott,  in  an  alarmed 
whisper. 

"  I  don't  know,"  says  Fred. 


SPOT'S    FRIGHT.  85 

"  Means  to  dig  down  to  us  ! "  Farr  said.     "  Smells  us  ! " 

"Thinks  there's  something  hurting  down  here,"  said 
Fred. 

"  I'll  fix  him  I  "  Scott  whispered.     "  Keep  quiet." 

We  got  out  of  the  bunk  and  fumbled  out  one  of  the 
guns,  Fair's  double-barrelled  one.  We  heard  him  cocking 
it. 

"  Don't  hold  the  muzzle  too  near  the  splits,"  Fred  cau- 
tioned. 

But  he  did  hold  it  too  near,  and  fired  both  barrels  at  once. 
It  made  a  stunning  report,  and  recoiled  violently  out  of  his 
hands.  So  great  was  the  pressure,  that  the  splits  were  blown 
up  off  the  poles,  for  they  were  not  nailed  down. 

Almost  at  the  same  instant,  I  heard  something  leap  off 
on  to  the  ground.  Fred  opened  the  door  and  shouted  st  — 
boy  I  to  Spot.  Out  bounded  Spot,  barking  furiously.  But  he 
didn't  run  far.  Before  we  had  even  time  to  step  out,  he 
came  back  with  a  yelp  and  scooted  into  the  door,  betwixt 
our  legs ! 

Farr  struck  a  match  and  lighted  some  dry  splints.  The 
blaze  disclosed  Spot  glaring  out  at  the  door,  the  hair  on  his 
back  raised  and  stiff  as  bristles,  and  his  tail  straight  as  a  cob. 

Fred  began  to  laugh. 

"  You'll  get  eaten  up,  Spot,  as  sure  as  fate,"  said  he. 

We  went  out  and  listened.  It  was  too  dark  to  see  much  ; 
and  the  cleared  space  was  full  of  old  spruce  tops  and  low 
shrubs.  We  heard  once  what  seemed  the  stealthy  snap  of  a 
twig.  Farr  let  fly  a  slug  fiom  O.vc  rifle.  The  light  of  the 


86  THE   PROWLER   DECAMPS. 

discharge  lit  up  the  brush ;  but  we  saw  nothing  and  heard 
nothing  more. 

"  Lucivee,  I  guess,"  said  Fred.  "  Smelled  our  cookery 
and  so  jumped  up  on  the  splits  to  sharpen  his  claws." 

It  took  some  little  time  to  get  quieted  down  enough  to 
go  to  sleep,  after  this  rouse-up.  But  we  had  a  good  morning 
nap. 


CHAPTER  X. 

fn  Jolly  Spirits.  —  A  Fine  Morning.  —  "  The  Narrows." — A  Struggle. 

—  "Hi!!   Hi!!   Hi!!"  — "Wake  up!  "  —  Worsted.  — The  Tow- 
line. —  The    Beautiful    Mountain-ash.  — "  Lincoln    Pond    Brook 
Camp."— Metallic  Pond.  — Some  Profane  Trees. —<f The  Mead- 
ows."—  Glowing  Plans.  —  The  Story  of  some  Young  Farmers. — 
Robins.  —  A  Winter  Haunt  of  Robins.  —  Our  Camp  on  the  Bluff. 

—  High-bush  Cranberries. 

IT  was  after  sunrise  before  we  were  astir ;  and  nearly 
eight  before  we  started  for  the  boat. 

We  left  the  old  shanty  as  good  as  we  found  it,  save  for 
the  blackening  of  the  splits  and  several  buck-shot  holes 
through  them,  where  Scott  had  fired  at  our  nocturnal  dis- 
turber. We  took  along  enough  buttered  Horsfords  (bis- 
cuits, the  reader  must  understand)  to  serve  for  our  noon 
lunch;  so  as  not  to  have  to  delay  to  kindle  a  fire  and 
cook. 

The  morning  was  beautiful,  cloudless  and  mild,  with  a 
lingering  breath  of  summer  in  the  breeze.  The  sun  shone 
warmly,  yet  softly.  We  were  in  uncommon  spirits,  and 
sang  and  whistled  for  pure  love  of  the  thing.  Times 
came  when  we  had  to  do  it  to  keep  up  our  spirits.  But 
none  of  those  things  troubled  us  that  morning.  We  made 


88  "THE  NARROWS." 

the  old  bateau  shoot  through  the  water,  and  laughed  at 
the  puniness  of  the  current.  But  currents  are  things  that 
hold  their  own  better  than  exuberant  spirits. 

We  had  rowed  perhaps  two  miles,  when  a  low  roar  of 
rushing  waters  began  to  be  heard.  It  grew  more  distinct, 
till  rounding  a  bend,  we  saw  where  the  stream  pours  force- 
fully between  two  ledges,  not  more  than  forty  feet  apart. 

" The  Narrows,"  said  Fred.  "Now  for  something  like 
work." 

At  the  foot  of  the  cascade  there  is  a  great  eddy,  flanked 
by  reaches  of-  dead  water.  We  pulled  up  into  the  eddy 
within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  bottom  of  the  rapid,  then 
stopped  to  take  a  look  and  deliberate. 

The  ledges  mark  the  difference  of  level  between  the 
lower  and  the  upper  portions  of  the  river  valley.  The 
length  of  the  rapid  is  not  over  twenty  yards,  at  most,  and 
the  descent  not  more  than  four  or  five  feet.  Yet  the  cur- 
rent was  wonderfully  swift,  and  sucked  through  the  narrow 
passage  with  a  strength  that  we  had  not  quite  expected. 

"  Can  we  run  it  ? "  said  Farr,  doubtfully. 

"Well,  we  can  try,"  Fred  replied.  "We're  fresh  this 
morning.  It's  a  mere  question  of  muscle.  There  are  no 
rocks  in  the  way  and  it  isn't  a  long  pull." 

"  All  right,"  Scott  exclaimed.     "  Draw  wind  for  it ! " 

As  usual,  I  had  the  stern  seat  and  steering  paddle. 

"  Head  her  right  straight  into  it,"  Fred  advised.  "  Don't 
let  her  swerve  a  hair.  Punch  her  nose  right  through  it  I 
All  ready  now.  One — ONE  —  ONE  1 " 


A   STRUGGLE.  89 

We  struck,  every  one  together  and  with  full  strength  on. 
The  bateau  went  into  it  like  a  steam  ram.  We  could  feel 
her  head  going  up. 

"  She's  mounting !  "  Fred  shouted.     "  At  it ! " 

Plash  — plash  !  dipped  the  oars. 

The  downward  current  gurgled  loudly  against  us  and 
put  out  all  its  mighty  strength  to  drive  us  back.  We  struck 
hard  and  fast  to  conquer  it,  and  gained,  though  more  and 
more  slowly,  till  we  got  into  the  narrowest  place.  There 
we  stuck  as  in  a  vice. 

A  minute  of  utmost  exertion,  —  then  back  we  went, 
turned  in  the  eddy,  and  lodged  in  the  dead  water  under  the 
right  bank. 

Then  there  was  panting  and  puffing,  and  cooling  of  burn- 
ing palms  in  the  water.  I  had  raised  a  blister  in  less  than 
two  minutes  ! 

"  Gracious,  isn't  that  a  strong  draft !  "  Scott  exclaimed. 

"  A  regular  suck-hole,"  said  Farr. 

"  What  think  of  it  now,  Fred?"  I  queried. 

"  It  seems  as  if  we  ought  to  do  it,"  said  Fred.  "  The 
place  is  so  short,  —  we  ought  to  get  up  it." 

"Yes,  it's  short — but,  oh,  Moses!"  laughed  £arr. 
"  There's  one  way,  and  only  one  way :  that  is,  to  get  up  full 
speed  before  we  strike  into  the  sluice-way  there.  We  must 
back  her  down  below  the  eddy,  then  start  and  get  the  boat 
under  full  headway.  If  we  do  that,  and  pull  like  all  pos- 
sessed, we  may  go  up." 

This  seemed  reasonable. 


9° 


"HI!  HI !  HI!" 


We  rested  some  minutes  and  got  breath,  then  dropped 
down  with  the  current  fifty  or  sixty  yards. 

"We'll  drive  her  up  this  time,"  Farr  said,  confidently. 

But  first  we  shifted  the  load  somewhat,  in  order  to  bring 
the  nose  higher  in  the  water. 

"  Are  you  all  ready  ? "  Fred  demanded  of  us. 

"  All  ready." 

" Well,  then,  --  Hi ! Hi ! Hi /"  . 


"  HI  !    HI  !    HI  !  " 

We  dashed  through  the  eddy,  at  full  jump,  went  into  the 
rapid  again,  and  climbed  up,  up,  up,  almost  to  where 
the  smooth  black  stream  bent  downward.  Every  muscle 
now  ! 

"  Wake  up  !  "  yelled  Fred.  "  Wake  up  !  One  yard  more  ! 
One  more  ! " 


WORSTED.  91 

We  should  have  done  it,  I  am  sure  we  should.  We  were 
doing  it,  when  I  let  the  nose  swerve  a  foot,  —  no  more.  I 
couldn't  help  it  It  was  done  quick  as  a  wink.  Another 
moment  and  we  were  over-matched,  and  swept  back  into  the 
eddy,  and  into  the  selfsame  place  under  the  right  bank. 

"That  was  almost,  but  not  quite,"  exclaimed  Fred,  du- 
biously. 

"  If  you  had  only  kept  her  head  straight,"  lamented 
Scott. 

Yes;  I  knew  that  as  well  as  anybody.  Such  a  blunder 
cuts  a  fellow  awfully.  Neither  Fred  nor  Fair  found  a  word 
of  fault.  But  the  thing  spoke  for  itself. 

"What  say  to  trying  the  line?"  Farr  proposed.  "We 
don't  want  to  lay  on  too  many  blisters  at  one  heat." 

We  had  a  sixty-foot  line,  taken  along  for  such  emergen- 
cies. It  was  got  out  We  then  pulled  up  to  the  foot  of 
the  rapid  on  the  left  bank,  and  landed  Farr  and  Scott.  One 
end  of  the  line  was  now  knotted  into  the  ring  in  the  bow, 
and  the  other  end  thrown  to  them.  They  climbed  round 
the  base  of  the  ledges,  and  straightening  the  rope,  began  to 
draw  on  it.  It  was  a  rather  ticklish  business.  Fred  and  I 
had  our  hands  full  to  fend  off  with  our  oars,  and  hold  the 
boat  from  being  dashed  against  the  jagged  sides.  But  "slow 
and  steady  "  did  it. 

Once  in  the  smooth  water  above  the  rapid,  we  recoiled 
our  line  and  went  on,  —  a  little  chagrined,  however,  at  hav- 
ing had  to  use  it.  When  a  fellow  sets  out  to  go  by  water,  he 
naturally  wants  to  do  so. 


92  SOME   PROFANE   TREES. 

It  was  ten  o'clock.  We  thought  the  current  a  little  swift- 
er above  "  The  Narrows  "  than  below ;  not  much.  The  fu 
forest  continued ;  but  there  were  higher  banks,  with  occa> 
sional  rocks.  The  profusion  of  round-woods  increased 
rather  than  diminished. 

A  little  past  twelve  we  stopped  at  a  pole  camp,  on  a  low 
bluff,  to  eat  our  Horsfords  and  drain  off  what  coffee  there 
remained  over  hi  the  coffee-pot  from  breakfast. 

This  camp  is  known  as  "  Lincoln  Pond  Brook  Camp." 
The  brook  that  here  makes  in  is  the  outlet  of  Lincoln  Pond, 
lying  off  to  the  east  of  the  river. 

A  tree  near  by  proclaimed  this  to  be  "a  • star- 
vation country."  But  we  had  not  found  it  so,  thus  far. 
Not  only  do  many  of  the  firs  along  this  river  have  a  sylvan 
language  of  their  own,  but  they  seem  to  have  adopted  the 
language  of  men,  —  and  a  very  profane  and  ribald  tongue  we 
found  it.  It  at  least  shows  what  sort  of  company  they  have 
kept.  Trees  that  talk  like  those,  have  no  business  in  good 
society.  And  lest  they  should  corrupt  the  morals  of  some 
innocent  and  untutored  tourist,  we  took  the  liberty  of  spot- 
ting off  some  of  their  unblushing  ribaldry  with  the  axe. 
This  we  did  the  more  sedulously  since  we  had  heard  that  an 
adventurous  party  of  young  ladies  from  New  York  were  in- 
tending to  penetrate  this  region  the  next  summer.  That 
they  should  fall  in  with  such  scurrilous  trees,  was  not  to  be 
thought  of;  and  we  could  think  of  no  better  way  to  reform 
them. 

We  gave  ourselves  twenty  minutes  for  dinner. 


THE   MEADOWS.  93 

Not  long  after,  we  passed  Metallic  Pond,  a  pretty  little 
expanse  opening  into  the  Magalloway  by  a  broad  outlet 
on  the  west  side.  There  are  two  Metallic  Ponds.  The 
other  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  is  not  in  sight 
from  it. 

An  hour  later  we  emerged  from  the  evergreen  forest,  and 
saw,  stretching  off  to  the  north  of  us,  a  great  tract  of  open 
land  set  here  and  there  with  large  elms. 

"  The  meadows,"  said  Fred. 

We  had  reached  the  foot  of  those  famous  natural  mead- 
ows of  the  Magalloway,  which  extend  for  twelve  miles  along 
the  banks,  and  are  of  themselves  well  worth  a  visit.  Origi- 
nally, I  presume,  there  may  have  been  a  lake  here,  the  bed 
of  which  the  forest  has  not  yet  encroached  upon.  Some 
enterprising  farmer,  with  a  few  thousand  dollars'  capital, 
might  put  this  whole  tract  into  good  grass  and  make  a  for- 
tune in  hay.  For  hay  in  this  region  often  sells  for  thirty 
dollars  per  ton  at  the  logging  camps. 

Cranberries,  too,  might  be  cultivated  on  many  hundred 
acres  of  this  meadow,  with  profit,  no  doubt. 

We  talked  of  all  these  chances  of  gain,  as  we  rowed  on. 

"  If  we  cannot  make  money  any  other  way,  we  will  just 
come  up  here  and  settle,"  Fred  would  say,  after  each  argu- 
ment of  the  chances. 

We  grew  quite  enthusiastic  over  the  beauty  and  extent  of 
this  great  alluvial  bottom ;  and  I  still  think  it  would  have 
been  a  nice  opening  for  us  four  boys,  to  have  got  a  permit 
and  settled  there.  I  am  quite  sure  that  for  every  dollar  we 


94  GLOWING   PLANS. 

now  have,  we  might  have  had  five,  if  we  had  had  the  perse- 
verance to  carry  out  the  plans  we  laid  there  that  pleasant 
October  afternoon. 

I  am  the  more  confident  of  this,  that  I  have  since  known 
four  young  fellows,  from  the  city,  who  left  town  and  took  up 
a  similar  plantation  in  the  wilderness.  Their  adventures  and 
experiences  (of  which  one  of  their  number  has  kindly  fur- 
nished me  some  account)  were  so  amusing,  pleasant,  and 
sometimes  so  exciting,  that  I  have  often  regretted  not  being 
one  of  their  party.  I  doubt  whether  four  youngsters  ever 
had  a  better  time  than  they  had,  and  are  still  having.  Add 
to  these  pleasures  of  pioneer  life  the  robust  health  they 
have  ever  enjoyed,  and  the  reader  will  agree  with  me  that 
they  are  really  to  be  envied  by  the  whole  army  of  pale 
clerks  on  their  high  stools,  who  still  cling  to  the  city  and  its 
pitiful  salaries.  White  hands  and  stylish  coats  are  good 
things  enough  in  their  way,  no  doubt,  but  not  to  be  set 
against  vigor,  fresh  air,  liberty,  and  plenty  of  cash,  in  my 
humble  opinion. 

My  four  friends  above  alluded  to  have  now  a  backwoods 
farm,  or  rather,  plantation,  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars,  which 
yields  them  a  net  profit  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand 
a  year.  They  come  as  near  being  kings  as  we  tolerate  here 
in  America.  Nothing  would  tempt  them  to  go  back  to 
clerking.  And  when  I  consider  how  much  unoccupied  ter- 
ritory we  have,  even  in  the  State  of  Maine,  that  might  be 
taken  up  in  the  same  way,  and  how  full  the  cities  are  of  poor- 
ly paid  young  men,  I  really  wish  that  more  would  do  as 


ROBINS.  95 

these  four  have  done.  They  would  be  happier,  healthier, 
and  make  more  money ;  and  the  country  at  large  would  be 
the  better  for  it.  But  everybody  must  follow  his  own  bent, 
I  suppose,  —  if  he  has  one. 

Even  here  the  round-woods  continued  to  fringe  the 
banks  and  hang  out  their  profusion  of  red  berries.  There 
were  great  quantities,  too,  of  high-bush  cranberries. 

The  current  is  swifter  through  the  meadows  than  we 
had  generally  found  it  below.  It  perceptibly  increased 
the  labor  of  rowing,  and  at  some  points  was  about  as 
much  as  we  could  comfortably  breast.  Through  the 
meadows,  too,  the  stream  was  seemingly  more  crooked 
than  below;  the  crooks  were  not  so  broad,  but  sharper 
and  more  of  them.  Contrary  to  what  would  be  expected 
here,  the  bed  of  the  stream  is  sandy  in  many  places,  often 
disclosing  sandy  spits  and  beaches.  At  one  of  these  latter 
there  was  a  board  stuck  up  in  the  sand,  on  which  was  in 
red  chalked,  — 

"  This  is  Turkic  Government." 

But  we  saw  no  turkles  (turtles)  here,  though  somebody 
has,  no  doubt.  I  think  that  it  was  nine  herons  Scott 
saw  along  the  meadows,  and  kept  the  account  of. 

But  a  more  interesting  ornithological  fact  came  out  in 
connection  with  this  locality.  Soon  after  entering  on  the 
meadows,  we  began  to  hear  the  "  kiff  "  of  robins,  and  saw 
scores  of  these  birds  all  about  on  the  elms.  It  seemed  a 
robins'  paradise.  As  we  went  on,  the  air  fairly  resounded 
to  their  sharp  notes.  They  were  feasting  on  the  great  ban 


96  A    WINTER   HAUNT  OF   ROBINS. 

quet  of  round-wood  berries  which  nature  has  here  set  out 
for  them,  —  a  banquet  that  to  exhaust  would  be  impossible. 
There  were  hundreds,  I  may  safely  say,  thousands,  of  rob- 
ins about  the  meadows ;  and  it  was  their  presence  that 
gave  the  locality  so  great  a  charm  for  us. 

And  now  I  have  a  fact  for  naturalists,  —  one  I  hope  they 
will  receive  as  given  on  good  authority.  When  we  came 
back  down  the  river  on  the  ice,  seven  weeks  later  (about 
the  first  of  December),  we  still  saw  robins  here,  though  not 
in  so  great  numbers.  There  was  then  nearly  a  foot 
of  snow.  The  weather  was  cold,  and  had  been  very  cold 
indeed.  In  a  word,  it  was  severe  winter  weather.  The 
round-woods  were  still  red  with  the  frozen  fruit ;  and  the 
robins  were  contentedly  billing  it  off. 

Two  lumbermen  at  Errol,  N.  H.,  told  me  that  on  one 
occasion  they  had  seen  robins  here  in  February,  and  on 
another,  in  January.  He  confidently  asserted  that  many 
robins  winter  here,  —  whenever  it  is  a  good  season  for 
round-wood  berries.  This  fact  acquires  some  importance, 
when  it  is  remembered  that  these  "  meadows "  are  in 
about  the  latitude  of  Montreal.  I  know  of  no  other  in- 
stance or  locality  where  the  robin  has  been  known  to  pass 
the  winter  so  far  north. 

As  we  drew  near  the  head  of  the  meadows,  we  saw 
numerous  bluffs  covered  with  fir  and  spruce,  and  occa- 
sionally with  pine.  These  were,  no  doubt,  islands  of  the 
old-time  lake.  It  was  getting  near  sunset,  and  we 
resolved  to  camp  on  one  of  these,  past  the  very  foot 


HIGH-BUbH    CRANBERRIES.  97 

of  which  the  river  ran.  It  rose  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
above  the  surrounding  bottom,  and  was  wooded  with 
a  mixed  growth  of  white  birch,  fir,  spruce  and  horn- 
beam. 

The  boat  was  hitched  to  a  stout  sapling  of  this  latter 
wood ;  and  while  Fred  and  Scott  set  up  the  "  A  "  tent,  Farr 
and  I  felled  a  white  birch  and  slivered  an  old  pine  stump. 
From  the  bark  of  the  former  and  the  fat  splinters  of  the 
latter,  a  cheerful  blaze  was  soon  crackling. 

The  reader  can  easily  guess  of  what  our  supper  con- 
sisted. So  I  have  no  need  to  print  the  bill  of  fare,  though 
it  was  by  no  means  a  long  one. 

Fred  took  a  dipper,  however,  while  Farr  was  frying 
meat,  and  going  down  the  bank,  gathered  a  dessert  to  make 
our  meal  relish  better,  —  a  dessert  of  high-bush  cranber- 
ries. I  liked  the  taste  of  these  pretty  well.  Scott  de- 
tested them.  Thus  do  tastes  differ. 

After  supper  we  cut  more  wood,  built  a  glorious  fire, 
then  sprigged  a  grand  bed  of  the  boughs.  On  this,  with 
the  flap  of  the  tent  buttoned  back,  we  lay  enjoying  an 
after-supper  hour  of  rest.  But  this  is  a  luxury  that  only  a 
tired  voyager  can  fully  appreciate. 

There  was  a  glorious  yellow  twilight,  glowing  over  the 
black  evergreen  ridges  and  peaks  to  the  west  of  the  valley. 
We  watched  it  die  off,  and  not  very  long  after  died  off 
ourselves  —  in  profound  slumber.  There  were  no  dis- 
turbing "lucivees  "  that  night.  If  owls  saluted  our  fire,  we 
7 


98  OUR  CAMP   ON  THE   BLUFF. 

heard  them  not.  Whatever  savage  eyes  glowered  at  us 
in  our  white  tent,  we  recked  not  of  them.  We  were,  to  use 
Farr's  ornate  phrase,  "putting  the  slumber  into  our- 
selves " ;  slumber  being  an  article  that  must  be  taken  in. 
like  water  and  food. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Mild  Weather.  —  "  On  to  Parmachenee ! "  —  "1  owse  Ahead ! "  —  The 
Great  Rips.  —  Tow-line  again.  —  Wading.  —  The  Forks.  —  The 
Little  Magalloway.  —  What  the  Trees  Said.  —  Parmachenee  Car- 
ry. —  The  Carry  Path.  —  Heavy  Packs.  —  Windfalls.  —  A  Tire- 
some Tramp.  —  Parmachenee  Gorge  and  Camp.  —  The  Dam. — 
A  Stove  with  an  "  Elevated  Oven. "  —  Some  "  Sprung  "  Pork.  — 
The  Basin-lamp.  — ';  What  day  is  it?" 

"TJ^RED  kindly  got  up  and  built  a  fire  that  morning  before 
JL  waking  the  rest  of  us ;  and  this  was  only  one  of  his 
fatherly  ways. 

It  seemed  like  a  late  April  morning.  There  was  that  in 
the  air  that  reminded  us  of  Spring.  The  same  light,  gauzy 
mists  were  rising  from  the  ground ;  and  out  on  the  elms  the 
robins  sang,  as  in  nest-making  time.  The  illusion  was  almost 
perfect.  Only  the  red  cranberry  clusters  and  the  bunches  of 
round-wood  plums  marred  the  fancy. 

We  breakfasted  immediately  and  went  on.  The  stream 
had  fallen  several  inches  during  the  night.  The  high  water 
from  the  freshet  was  subsiding. 

Two  miles  more  of  meadow,  and  we  had  again  entered  the 
fir  woods,  leaving  the  meadow  with  its  robins  behind. 

"  Now  bowse  ahead,  fellows  ! "  Fred  exhorted.     "  On  to 


IOO  ON   TO   PARMACHENEE. 

Parmachenee  !  We  ought  to  reach  the  foot  of  the  lake  to- 
night." 

"  Bowse  ahead,"  I  may  remark,  had  been  our  motto  all 
the  way  up.  It  is  not,  I  am  aware,  a  very  elegant  one ;  but 
in  tight  places  we  had  found  it  expressive,  —  more  forcible 
than  mere  "go  ahead." 

And  we  had  need  to  bowse;  for  immediately  after  leaving 
the  meadows  we  found  ourselves  in  a  very  long  and  tiresome 
rapid,  though  not  a  very  violent  one.  Before  we  reached  the 
comparatively  moderate  water  above,  we  had  taken  the  morn- 
ing kinks  well  out  of  our  muscles. 

A  mile  above  are  the  "great  rips." 

These  we  reached  twenty  minutes  later.  The  banks  on 
both  sides  are  here  very  unfavorable  for  using  the  tow-line ; 
and  to  get  up  without  it,  was  quite  out  of  the  question. 

"  We  shall  have  to  take  to  the  water,"  Fred  declared,  at  a 
glance. 

The  "  rip,"  or  rapid,  is  a  hundred  yards  in  length ;  and  the 
water  runs  pretty  roughly,  with  a  clearly  denned  roar :  all  these 
descents  have  each  a  distinct  and  peculiar  voice ;  some  harsh, 
gruff  and  ominous,  others  mellow,  and  still  others  cheery, 
though  brawling. 

"How  deep  is  the  water?"  Scott  queried;  "and  will  it 
not  take  a  fellow  off  his  feet?  " 

"  Pull  up  to  the  foot  of  it,"  Fred  said ;  "  and  we  will  soon 
find  out.  It  doesn't  look  deep." 

|^e  jumped  out.     It  was  about  to  his  middle. 

"  I'll  hold  the  boat,"  said  he,  taking  hold  of  the  nose. 
"  Fix  the  line,  Fair." 


Fair  knotted  one  end  of  the  tow-line  into  the  ring. 

"  Now,  then,  pile  out,"  says  Fred.  "  We'll  Indian-file  it 
up  the  centre." 

This  was  our  first  experience  of  wading.  Below,  the  stream 
had  been  far  too  deep.  Scott  hesitated  a  little  about  step- 
ping overboard,  till  seeing  the  rest  of  us  laughing  at  him,  he 
leaped  out  promptly. 


WE  WALKED   STEADILY   UP. 


Nothing  like  a  little  —  not  too  much  —  ridicule,  to  bring  a 
fellow  out. 

Fred  went  ahead  and  picked  the  way.  Fair  followed  next. 
Scott  and  I  brought  up  the  rear.  It  did  not  draw  very  hard. 


102  THE    FORKS. 

We  walked  steadily  up.  The  water  did  not,  even  in  the  holes, 
come  above  our  waists.  It  was  considerably  strong.  It  took 
Scott  off  his  feet  once ;  but  he  supported  himself  by  the  rope. 
We  were  not  more  than  ten  minutes  getting  up.  After  the 
first  chill,  the  water  did  not  feel  cold  at  all.  On  the  whole,  I 
rather  enjoyed  it.  Of  course  it  left  us  with  wet  pants,  etc. ; 
but  these  are  things  one  does  not  mind  off  in  the  woods, 
if  the  weather  be  not  cold. 

A  hundred  rods  above  this  place  are  the  Forks,  with  the 
Little  Magalloway,  which  joins  the  main  stream  from  the 
north-west.  The  Little  Magalloway  is  not  more  than  one- 
third  the  size  of  the  main  river.  It  is  a  very  pretty  stream, 
running  over  bright  yellow  sand  and  pebbles.  A  boat  can  be 
run  up  for  a  number  of  miles.  We  had  been  told  that  a  boat 
could  be  towed  up  the  Magalloway  proper  as  far  as  "  The 
Great  Eddy,"  one  mile  above  the  Forks ;  but  the  rips  looked 
so  formidable  and  continuous,  that  we  concluded  to  land  here 
and  take  to  the  carry-path.  Accordingly,  we  pulled  into  the 
Little  Magalloway,  and  after  proceeding  from  sixty  to  eighty 
rods,  for  a  guess,  landed  at  the  place  where  many  former 
voyagers  seemed  to  have  moored  their  boats,  and  where,  in- 
deed, Godwin  had  advised  us  to  land  at  the  outset. 

Here  were  the  traces  of  numerous  camp-fires.  Trees  had 
been  felled  for  fuel.  As  it  was  near  noon,  we  determined  to 
have  dinner  before  attempting  to  cross  the  carry.  From  this 
point  to  the  foot  of  the  lake  it  is  four  miles,  so  called.  It 
cannot  be  less.  My  own  impression  is  that  it  is  five,  cer- 
tainly. It  seemed  ten  before  we  got  our  bateau  across  it 
next  day. 


WHAT  THE  TREES   SAID.  103 

Above  the  "  Big  Eddy  "  there  are  continuous  falls,  clean  up 
to  the  dam  at  the  lake.  There  is  a  fairly-defined  carry-path 
through  the  woods,  though  trees  have  fallen  across  it  in  many 
places.  This  path  was  "  bushed  out "  some  years  previously 
by  the  lumbermen  when  the  Berlin  Mills  Company  logged  on 
the  lake,  and  built  the  dam  at  the  foot  of  it. 

Here,  as  at  other  places,  the  trees  had  a  good  deal  to  say. 
One  large  spruce  declared,  — 

"  This  is  a  fine  wild  country,  but  lacks  good  grub  and 
ladies'  society." 

Another  fir  put  a  query  respecting  the  origin  of  the  name, 
Magalloway.  It  asked,  — 

"  Is  Magalloway  an  Indian  name,  or  simply  from  My- 
gall's-away  ?  "  Still  another  profane  hemlock  swore  fearful- 
ly about  the  length  of  the  carry,  and  the  tree-trunks  across  it. 
Scott  indignantly  rebuked  it — with  the  axe. 

As  soon  as  dinner  was  got  and  eaten,  we  drew  up  the  ba- 
teau out  of  the  stream,  in  order  that  it  might  get  dry  for  to- 
morrow's task  of  carrying  it  up  to  the  lake.  Our  traps, 
bags,  etc.,  we  then  carried  to  a  little  distance  and  hid  in  a 
thicket  of  firs.  We  did  not  deem  it  probable  that  any  one 
would  pass,  yet  there  might  somebody  come  along;  and 
from  the  profanity  of  the  trees  we  gained  a  poor  opinion  of 
the  morals  of  the  place  generally. 

Our  blankets,  kettles,  tin-ware  and  raw  provisions  for 
several  days  were  then  packed  up,  —  each  pack  weighing 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  pounds.  Of  these,  we  gave 
Scott  the  lightest  one.  Each  adjusted  his  pack  to  suit  his 


104  A  TIRESOME  TRAMP. 

own  back.  We  took  also  our  guns  in  our  hands,  and  the 
ammunition  in  our  pockets. 

By  the  time  we  were  ready  to  set  off,  it  was  two  o'clock 
or  after. 

The  path,  which  could  only  be  followed  by  close  attention, 
wound  in  and  out  among  a  heavy  spruce  growth  with  an 
occasional  lofty  pine. 

"There's  a  hundred  dollars  —  in  that  tree,"  Fred  would 
remark,  pointing  to  one  of  these  forest  monarchs,  where  it 
towered  high  over  the  surrounding  growth. 

Often  these  pines  were  five  or  six  feet  in  diameter,  show- 
ing a  clean  trunk  for  sixty  or  seventy  feet. ' 

Immediately  we  began  to  find  trees,  spruce  and  fir,  across 
the  path,  just  as  they  had  fallen,  lying  at  breast  height. 
Over  the  first  of  these  we  climbed  without  noticing  the  in- 
convenience ;  but  after  getting  over  a  dozen  or  more  it  be- 
gan to  grow  a  very  wearying  business.  If  any  reader  wishes 
a  practical  idea  of  it,  let  him  take  a  weight  of  thirty  pounds 
on  his  shoulders,  and  a  gun  in  his  hand,  and  climb  over  a 
gate  twenty  or  thirty  times.  It  takes  a  very  fair  allowance  of 
time  to  go  a  mile  under  such  circumstances. 

It  was  three  o'clock  when  we  reached  the  point  where  the 
path  from  the  "Big  Eddy"  joins  the  main  carry-path. 
Here  a  pine  announced,  in  red  chalk,  that  it  was  three  miles 
to  the  dam. 

"Bowse  ahead,"  Fred  exclaimed.  "It'll  be  pitch  dark 
before  we  get  there  ! " 

We  walked  and  climbed  on.  as  fast  as  we  could.     It 


PARMACHENEE   GORGE  AND   CAMP.  105 

was  a  tolerably  dry  path,  however;  there  were  but  two 
sloughs. 

At  intervals  we  could  hear  the  roar  of  falls ;  but  the  path 
had  diverged  from  the  river,  which  comes  down  a  ravine  to 
the  east  of  it. 

The  latter  portion  of  the  way  was  not  so  badly  cumbered 
with  fallen  trees  as  we  had  found  the  first  part,  else  we 
should  have  got  quite  discouraged.  Nevertheless,  dusk  was 
falling  over  this  whole  wild  region,  and  the  deep  recesses  of 
the  spruce  woods  had  grown  dark  enough,  when  a  turn  of 
the  path  led  us  out  to  the  brink  of  a  great  gorge,  partially 
cleared  of  trees. 

"  Parmachenee  ! "  shouted  Fred. 

The  lake  was  not  in  sight ;  but  we  could  plainly  hear  the 
ponderous  plunge  of  the  waters  at  the  dam ;  and'  far  down 
at  the  bottom  of  the  gorge,  near  the  foaming  torrent,  we 
could  dimly  discern  a  small  log  camp. 

"  Parmachenee,  at  last ! "  Farr  exclaimed.  "  Parmachenee 
gorge  and  camp  !" 

The  path  led  down  the  side  of  the  gorge ;  but  it  is  amaz- 
ingly steep  and  difficult.  Half  stumbling,  half  running,  we 
made  our  way  down.  The  old  camp  was  of  spruce  logs 
chinked  up  with  moss  and  mud,  and  roofed  as  usual  with 
"splits."  It  emitted  a  rather  peculiar  odor. 

Like  the  camp  above  Escohos  Falls,  it  contained  a  stove, 
a  very  large,  and  withal,  a  very  rusty  one,  with  an  "elevated 
oven."  There  were  two  barrels  of  pork,  a  barrel  of  beans, 
about  a  third  of  a  barrel  of  flour ;  tea,  pepper  and  salt,  in 
proportion. 


io6  SOME  "SPRUNG"  PORK. 

These  were  the  remains  over  and  above  the  wants  of 
the  last  logging  gang.  The  stores  had  been  standing  here 
two  years  and  over.  The  flour  was  musty.  The  beans 
were  caked ;  and  the  pork  was  in  that  rather  precarious 
condition,  which  Fred  terms  "sprung"  When  fried  in  a 
spider  it  frothed  and  foamed  like  a  veritable  wild  boar ; 
and  the  smell  of  it  invariably  put  Scott  to  flight* 

We  had  no  lamp  or  candles  with  us  that  night;  and 
Fred  had  immediately  set  to  work  to  provide  a  light,  by 
frying  some  of  the  pork  to  get  the  fat  for  oil.  This  lard- 
oil  he  put  in  a  pint-basin,  then  cut  a  button  from  his  waist- 
band, and  through  the  holes  in  the  button  passed  a  bit  of 
string  for  a  wick.  This  contrivance  for  a  burner  he  first 
floated  on  the  fat,  then  lighted  it ;  and  lest  the  fat  should 
cool  and  harden,  he  set  the  basin  on  the  elevated  oven  of 
the  stove.  It  burned  well  and  steadily,  giving  a  fair 
light. 

We  got  our  supper  and  ate  it.  Tired  and  hungry  enough 
we  had  become. 

As  in  the  lower  camp,  there  was  a  long  bunk  across  the 
back  side  of  the  hovel.  It  was  not  without  misgivings  as 
to  the  possible  population  of  the  old  fir-bough  bed,  that 
we  turned  in  on  it;  yet  we  were  too  tired  to  get  a  fresh 
supply  of  boughs. 

I  sincerely  hope  that  none  of  our  readers  have  be- 
thought themselves  that  the  day  now  just  passed  in  hard 

*  It  is  customary  for  trampers  in  these  wilds  to  help  themselves  to 
whatever  stores  they  find  in  these  old  camps. 


THE   BASIN-LAMP.  1 07 

labor  up  the  river,  and  harder  tramping  over  the  long 
carry,  was  Sunday  I  It  is  almost  incredible  as  well  as  un- 
pardonable that  we  had  none  of  us  thought  of  it.  We  had 
somehow,  in  the  newness  of  the  life  we  were  leading,  lost 
a  day.  I  thought  it  was  Saturday ;  so  did  the  others.  It 
was  not  till  we  were  rolled  up  in  our  blankets  that  this  ir- 
reverent fact  came  out.x 

Said  Fred,  "  Let's  see,  how  many  days  have  we  been 
getting  up  here  ?  Started  Monday ;  six  days,  isn't  it  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Scott.  "  First  night  down  there  in  Grafton 
Notch,  second  at  the  Lake  House,  third  at  Moll's  Rock, 
fourth  in  the  old  house  below  Escohos,  fifth  in  the  shanty 
above  Escohos,  sixth  down  therein  —  why — fellows!  — 
this  is  the  seventh  night! — ain't  it?  Hold  on,  let  me 
count  again." 

We  counted  again.     It  was  the  seventh  night,  sure. 

"  Then  to-day's  Sunday !  "  cried  Scott,  self-convicted. 

"  Can't  be  !  "  we  exclaimed. 

"Well,  it  is!" 

"  Blessed  if  it  isn't,  now  !  "  admitted  Fred. 

"  Well,  I  declare,  we're  worse  than  a  pack  of  heathen," 
I  could  not  help  saying.  "  We  had  better  get  a  lathe  and 
make  notches,  if  we  can't  remember  better  than  this." 

"  What's  to  be  done  ? "  said  Scott,  laughing  in  spite  of 
himself. 

" I  don't  see  as  any  thing  can  be  done  now"  said  Farr. 
"  The  day's  gone." 

"Might  keep  to-morrow,"  I  suggested. 


io8  "WHAT  DAY  is  IT?'* 

My  comrades  reflected  a  moment. 

"Oh,  that  would  be  mere  fanaticism,"  said  Scott,  at 
length.  "  The  only  thing  to  be  done  is  to  try  to  remem- 
ber better  next  time ;  for  I  believe  in  keeping  the  Sab- 
bath as  much  as  any  one." 

And  so  we  went  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  Tough  Day's  Work.  —  Squirrels.  —  A  Spruce  Partridge.  —  Moose 
Tracks.  —  Marten  Signs.  —  Carrying  the  Bateau  up  to  the  Lake.  — 
Great  Fatigue.  —  Parmachenee  Dam.  —  Hoisting  the  Gates.  —  An- 
gling for  Trout  —  The  Fish  Law  of  Maine.  —  Scott's  Lame  Stom- 
ach. —  Sacking  our  Supplies  Across  the  Carry.  —  Glimpse  of  a 
Woodsman.  —  A  Suspicious  Circumstance. 


I  ^RED  had  potatoes  nearly  roasted  in  the  "elevated 
JL  oven"  next  morning  before  I  was  awake. 

For  our  breakfast,  we  had  roasted  potatoes  and  butter, 
also  a  mess  of  "  Horsfords,"  a  bountiful  mess,  too,  of 
which  Fred  exhorted  us  to  partake  largely.  "  For,"  said 
he,  "  we've  got  a  tough  day's  work  before  us  to  get  that 
boat  up  here  and  launched  in  the  lake  above  the  dam." 

We  had  no  doubt  of  that. 

At  a  quarter  of  eight  we  set  off  to  re-cross  the  carry, 
and,  climbing  the  side  of  the  gorge,  entered  the  path  again. 
The  woods  were  full  of  red  squirrels,  now  in  the  midst  of 
their  morning  antics  ;  and  so  great  a  din  did  they  keep 
up,  that  little  else  could  be  heard.  Scarcely  had  we 
gained  the  top  of  the  ridge,  however,  when  Farr  esp:ed 


110  MOOSE   TRACKS. 

three  spruce  partridges  running  in  the  path  ahead  of  us. 
Scott  had  taken  our  little  rifle.  We  fired  at  them  and 
killed  one,  tearing  a  fearful  hole  through  its  body  where 
the  slug  pierced  it.  Fred  hung  it  up  to  a  bough  over- 
nanging  the  path,  that  we  might  take  it  on  our  return. 

About  half  way  across  the  carry,  Farr,  who  was  ahead, 
suddenly  drew  up. 

"  Look  here,"  said  he,  pointing  to  a  large  hoof  mark  in 
the  mud :  "  moose  track.  A  moose  has  been  along  here 
since  last  night.  Isn't  that  a  moose  track,  Fred  ? " 

Fred  said  it  was  one,  for  certain. 

That  was  the  first  moose  sign  we  had  seen.  The  animal 
had  walked  along  the  path  for  some  distance.  The 
track  was  as  large  as  the  track  of  a  large  ox.  Fred  also 
pointed  out  to  us  where  "saple"  (marten)  had  dug  in 
the  moss  in  several  places.  These  signs  rejoiced  us 
greatly. 

"  We'll  have  us  a  '  saple  line  '  on  both  sides  of  the  lake," 
Farr  planned. 

Just  before  coming  out  to  the  Little  Magalloway,  where 
we  had  drawn  up  our  boat,  we  stumbled  upon  a  second 
flock  of  partridges  —  five  of  them ;  Scott  fired,  but  missed 
them. 

At  best,  the  bateau  was  a  heavy  boat,  considered  as  a 
portable  one.  I  do  not  know  how  many  pounds  it 
weighed,  but  should  set  it,  for  a  guess,  at  four  hundred ; 
perhaps  not  more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
There  were  four  of  us  to  carry  it. 


CARRYING    THE    BATTEAU. 


CARRYING   THE   BATEAU   UP   TO  THE   LAKE.  Ill 

At  first  thought,  this  does  not  seem  a  very  heavy  load 
per  man.  But  when  the  length  and  obstructed  character 
of  the  carry  are  considered,  I  imagine  that  the  reader 
will  agree  with  me  that  we  had  any  thing  but  an  easy  job 
before  us. 

Two  sticks  were  hewn  from  a  fallen  spruce,  with  han- 
dles at  each  end.  These  were  not  more  than  three  feet 
long,  and  were  nailed  transversely,  one  across  the  nose  of 
the  bateau,  the  other  across  the  stern,  near  each  end,  so  as 
to  allow  the  ends,  or  handles,  to  project  far  enough  to 
take  hold  of.  The  boat  was  turned  bottom  up.  It  was 
then  ready  for  carriage.  We  had  only  to  take  it  up  and 
go  on. 

Fred  took  the  left-side  handle  at  the  bow.  I  took  the 
other  side,  opposite  him.  Farr  and  Scott  had  the  stern 
handles,  the  former  on  the  right  and  the  latter  on  the 
left.  (We  changed  places  afterwards.)  Farr  carried  the 
little  rifle  slung  across  his  back.  It  was  ten  o'clock  when 
we  were  at  length  ready  for  a  start. 

"  Pick  him  up,"  was  the  word  from  Fred. 

We  picked  him  up.  I  for  one  was  not  in  the  least  de- 
luded in  my  first  impression.  It  picked  up  heavy  at  the 
outset.  I  knew  we  had  a  big  job  on  hand,  and  collected 
my  strength,  and  tried  to  use  it  economically. 

"  We  won't  make  long  heats,"  said  Fred.  "  We  won'* 
go  more  than  twenty  rods  at  once,  without  resting." 

"  That  will  make  sixty-four  heats  for  the  four  miles,' 
Scott  reckoned. 


112  GREAT   FATIGUE. 

But  as  a  matter  of  fact,  we  had  nearly  two  hundred 
heats ! 

The  path  was  barely  wide  enough  to  admit  of  our  car- 
rying it  in  the  way  that  we  had  chosen.  Often  it  grazed 
against  the  rough  trunks  on  either  side.  And  then  the 
climbing  over  those  countless  windfalls  across  the  path  ! 

Ah,  me !  that  is  a  task  long  to  be  remembered.  We 
worked  hard  four  hours,  not  including  the  half  hour  of 
rest  we  took  at  a  little  after  noon.  It  was  nearly  three 
o'clock  when  at  last  we  set  the  old  thing  down  before 
the  camp  door. 

Scott  had  passed  through  all  the  different  stages  of 
fatigue,  from  a  profuse  perspiration  to  a  dry  pallor.  He 
went  in  without  a  word,  and  laid  down  in  the  bunk.  We 
resolved  to  have  something  to  eat,  then  carry  the  boat 
above  the  dam  and  launch  it.  For  my  own  part,  I  felt  as 
if  I  might  drop  at  any  moment,  but  determined  to  keep 
my  legs  as  long  as  possible. 

Fred  made  some  strong  coffee,  and  baked  more  biscuits 
and  potatoes.  It  came  on  dark  before  we  had  finished 
eating.  So  the  boat  lay  over  for  next  morning. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  being  too  tired  to  sleep  well, 
or  even  at  all.  Scott  did  not  go  to  sleep,  he  told  me,  till 
long  past  midnight.  As  for  myself,  I  slept,  but  was  still 
carrying  the  boat  till  toward  morning,  when  a  good  nap 
succeeded. 

But  on  getting  up  next  morning,  our  stomachs  were  so 
lame  that  it  was  agony  to  draw  a  long  breath,  or  stoop. 


PARMACHENEE    DAM.  1 13 

We  were  about  used  up,  Scott  especially;  while  Fair  and 
even  Fred  complained  a  good  deal  of  lameness  and  sore- 
ness. It  made  us  wince  and  groan  plentifully  when  we 
came  to  carry  the  boat  up  to  the  dam,  —  a  hundred  yards. 
Scott  declared  that  it  was  like  putting  a  knife  betwixt  his 
ribs  to  lift  his  side  of  the  boat ;  and  he  came  rather  near 
profanity,  on  this  wise:  said  he,  "Do  you  remember 
what  that  hemlock  down  at  the  forks  said  about  the 
carry  ? " 

We  did,  distinctly. 

"  Well,"  says   Scott,  "  I  wish  I  had  let  that  stand  as  it 


This  peculiar  mode  of  putting  it  set  the  rest  of  us 
laughing,  but  hurt  us  so  horribly  that  our  guffaws  were 
speedily  turned  into  howls. 

The  dam  at  the  foot  of  the  lake  is  built  of  spruce  logs, 
and  has  five  gates,  set  in  ponderous  hewn  frames.  There 
is  a  machine,  consisting  of  iron  cog-wheels  and  levers,  for 
hoisting  these.  The  dam  itself  is  not  more  than  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  in  length.  The  site  seems  to  have 
been  very  advantageously  chosen.  It  has  a  perpendicular 
lift  of  about  twelve  feet.  Brown,  the  agent  of  the  Lum- 
bering Company  which  owns  the  dam  and  the  land  about 
the  lake,  had  told  us  the  gates  were  up.  We  were,  there- 
fore, somewhat  surprised  to  find  three  of  them  closed. 
Some  one  had  either  let  them  fall  for  mischief,  or  else  to 
better  the  trout  fishing  at  the  foot  of  the  dam.  The  -next 
<*-vy,  before  setting  off  up  the  lake,  we  raised  the  gates. 
8 


114  ANGLING    FOR    TROUT. 

That  forenoon,  after  launching  the  bateau,  we  unpacked 
some  fishing  tackle,  —  hooks  and  lines,  —  and  taking  pork 
for  bait,  went  up  to  try  our  own  luck  at  trout-fishing. 
There  were  several  long  alder-poles  lying  about  on  the 
dam.  To  these  we  attached  our  lines  and  dropped  in. 
The  trout  did  not  rise  to  the  pork  bait  readily;  though  after 
fishing  for  a  half  hour,  Farr  hooked  a  two-pounder.  Fred 
meantime  put  on  a  red  "  fly,"  of  which  he  had  brought 
three  from  Upton.  The  trout  rose  to  this  in  numbers,  but 
would  not  snap;  after  fishing  for  some  time,  however,  he 
caught  one  nearly  as  heavy  as  Farr's,  and  a  few  minutes 
after,  a  larger  still.  There  were  plenty  of  trout  under  the 
"  apron  "  of  the  dam.  We  could  see  them  rise,  but  the 
high  water  was  unfavorable. 

This  was  toward  the  end  of  the  trout-fishing  season. 
After  the  i5th  of  October  the  law  protects  them  —  as 
much  as  it  can. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  went  down  the  carry  again,  to  get 
the  remainder  of  our  provisions  and  traps.  (Scott,  I  should 
add,  was  left  in  the  camp,  to  get  over  his  lame  stomach.) 

We  brought  up  this  trip  every  thing,  save  the  pota- 
toes ;  and  of  these  we  had  brought  rather  over  a  peck  the 
previous  evening. 

Scott  surprised  us,  and  rendered  us  not  a  little  uneasy, 
by  announcing  that  he  had  seen  a  man  —  a  rough-looking 
customer  —  up  at  the  dam  while  we  were  gone  down  the 
carry.  The  fellow  had  a  double-barrelled  gun,  and,  as 
Scott  thought,  a  belt  with  a  dirk-knife. 


A   SUSPICIOUS   CIRCUMSTANCE  115 

Immediately  on  catching  sight  of  Scott  down  at  the 
camp,  he  had  made  off.  This  looked  suspicious;  and 
fearing  lest  he  might  steal  the  boat,  Scott  took  his  gun 
and  went  up  to  the  dam,  in  sight  of  where  the  bateau  lay. 
But  he  saw  nothing  more  of  the  woodsman. 

This  information  disturbed  us  all  a  good  deal,  and 
Fred  especially.  He  let  out  to  us  that  the  woods  in  this 
section  of  the  State  had  borne  a  bad  name,  as1  being  the 
resort  of  a  gang  of  rough  fellows,  who  had  made  the  set- 
tlements too  hot  for  them,  on  account  of  various  tres- 
passes. 

"  But  I  was  in  hopes  we  should  steer  clear  of  them," 
he  added. 

For  fear  the  boat  might  be  stolen  in  the  night,  we  went 
up,  took  it  out  of  the  stream,  and  brought  it  back  to  the 
camp. 

There  was  something  very  unpleasant  in  the  idea  of 
being  watched  by  such  human  beasts  of  prey. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

We  Finish  "  Sacking  "  our  Supplies.  —  More  Partridges.  —  The  Mon- 
heimer  Potatoes.  — We  Set  Off  up  the  Lake.— The  Outlet.  —A 
Fine  View.  —  Parmachenee  Lake.  — A  Great  Flock  of  Sheldrake. 
—  "Bose-buck  Cove."— The  Upper  Islands.— The  Upper  Ma- 
galloway.— "Cleaveland's  Camp."— We  Establish  Ourselves  at 
the  Head  of  the  Lake.  —  Musk-rat  Haunts.  —  Setting  Traps.— 
Certain  Cirumstances  Render  us  somewhat  Uneasy. 

THE  next  morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  light  in  the 
woods,  Fred  and  I  set  off  to  bring  up  the  pota- 
toes. 

Farr,  meantime,  took  his  double-barrelled  gun  and  went 
off  up  the  side  of  the  outlet  and  lake  to  reconnoitre.  We 
were  desirous  to  know  whether  there  was  a  gang  camping 
anywhere  about.  By  going  up  to  "  Loon  Point,"  where 
the  outlet  leaves  the  lake  proper,  Farr  thought  he  might 
detect  the  smoke,  if  there  was  a  party  at  the  head  of  the 
lake. 

Scott  remained  in  camp ;  partly  as  guard  of  our  property 
there,  and  in  part  to  recuperate  and  get  better  of  his 
lamed  stomach. 

Fred  and  I  got  back  up  the  carry  at  a  few  minutes 
before  eleven.  Farr  had  come  in.  He  had  seen  no  signs 


THE    MONHEIMER   POTATOES.  117 

of  a  party;  but  he  had  run  among  a  flock  of  partridges, 
of  which  he  shot  three  at  the  first  fire,  and  a  fourth  with 
his  second  barrel.  And  he  had  come  upon  the  last  August 
camp  of  a  sporting  party  from  New  York  city.  A  spruce 
told  the  story,  to  wit,  that  "  R.  Monheimer  and  party  camped 
here  from  August  igth  to  September  3d." 

There  was  a  raft  drawn  up  near  the  camp.  This  party 
had  not  taken  their  boat  over  the  carry,  but  had  preferred 
to  leave  it  down  at  the  "  forks,"  and  build  a  raft  for  the 
lake. 

Farr  had  poked  about  and  found  a  pile  of  potatoes  — 
nearly  a  bushel  —  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  on  which  was 
written,  —  "A  free  gift  to  whoever  wants  them." 

They  were,  to  use  a  young  ladies'  adjective,  splendid 
potatoes,  brought  from  Upton  or  Magalloway,  probably,  — 
localities  noted  for  the  excellence  of  their  potato  crop. 
The  rains  had  washed  them  clean  and  white.  Farr  had 
at  once  determined  to  avail  himself  of  Monheimer's  offer. 
There  was  little  doubt  that  we  should  want  all  the  pota- 
toes we  could  secure.  After  being  brought  all  the  way 
from  Upton  and  "  sacked  "  over  the  carry,  they  were  very 
precious,  and  really  valuable. 

Dinner  was  prepared  and  eaten.  We  then  decided  to 
set  off  for  the  head  of  the  lake  without  further  delay. 
That  was  the  place  where  we  wished  to  have  our  head- 
quarters; and  unless  there  was  another  party  there,  the 
sooner  we  took  possession  the  better.  And  if  there  was 
another  party  there,  we  wished  to  find  it  out  and  keep 
clear  of  them. 


Il8  WE   SET   OFF   UP   THE   LAKE. 

The  bateau  was  again  carried  up,  put  in  the  stream,  and 
loaded  with  all  our  effects.  We  took  from  the  supplies  in 
the  shanty,  a  few  pieces  of  the  "  sprung  "  pork,  four  quarts 
of  beans,  a  paper  of  pepper,  about  a  quart  of  salt  in  a  box, 
and  a  small  quantity  of  tea.  These  articles  we  thought 
we  might  need,  and  when  we  returned  down  the  stream, 
we  could  account  for  them  to  Brown ;  this  is  a  customary 
procedure. 

This  done,  we  bade  adieu  to  the  camp  in  the  gorge,  and, 
pulled  off  up  the  outlet  above  the  dam. 

Not  more  than  fifty  rods  from  the  dam,  a  large  brook 
comes  into  the  main  stream  from  between  two  hills  on  the 
east  side.  An  old  trapper  at  Upton  had  told  us  there 
were  beaver  up  this  stream.  We  resolved  to  explore  it 
ere  many  weeks,  —  after  we  got  settled. 

From  the  dam  up  to  the  lake  proper  at  "Loon  Point,"  it 
is  about  a  mile.  This  flowed  portion  of  the  outlet  is  a 
broad  "  thoroughfare,"  fifteen,  twenty  and  twenty-five  rods 
in  width. 

We  stopped  at  the  Monheimer  camp  to  take  in  the  pota- 
toes. It  was  just  the  place  for  a  picturesque  camp.  No 
doubt  Monheimer  and  friends  enjoyed  themselves.  We 
were  grateful  for  the  potatoes. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  outlet,  a  forest  fire  had  killed 
the  growth  far  up  the  ridge.  The  dead  trunks  were  fall- 
ing across  each  other.  It  was  a  picture  of  vegetable  ruin. 
Fire  is  the  great  devastator  of  our  forests,  and  has  de- 
stroyed more  pine  in  Maine  than  all  the  lumbermen  have 
cut  off. 


PARMACHENEE    LAKE.  .     119 

When  near  the  lake,  the  outlet  bends  sharply  to  the 
west,  around  a  bushy  point.  It  was  not  till  we  had  doubled 
this,  that  the  fine  expanse  burst  on  us.  Farr  had  been  up 
here  already  in  the  morning.  I  saw  that  he  was  watching 
the  rest  of  our  faces  with  a  certain  air  of  triumph. 

"What  say  to  this?"  he  exclaimed,  as  we  rounded  the 
bushes  and  caught  sight  of  the  lake. 

Involuntarily  we  turned,  and  sat  gazing  off  for  a  long 
time.  This,  then,  was  Parmachenee.  I  do  not  know 
what  the  name  signifies,  but  it  ought  to  mean  Beautiful 
Lake.  The  "Indians  named  it;  and  I  cannot  but  think 
from  the  well-known  fitness  of  their  terms,  that  this  silvery 
word  has  a  beauteous  significance. 

It  is  not  so  large  as  Moosehead,  Apmoogenamook,  Um- 
bagog,  and  a  score  of  others ;  but  to  my  mind,  it  is  the 
most  beautiful  of  them  all.  Its  whole  length  does  not 
exceed  five  miles  ;  and  its  greatest  breadth,  from  the  mouth 
of  Moose  Brook  on  the  east  shore  to  the  foot  of  Bose-buck 
cove  at  the  south-west  corner,  is  not  more  than  four  miles. 

The  most  of  our  Maine  lakes  are  long  and  narrow; 
Parmachenee  is  an  exception.  It  fills  a  natural  sink  or 
basin,  walled  about  by  high,  wooded  hills,  some  of  which 
are  mountains  of  note.  Bose-buck,  for  example,  at  the 
foot  of  the  cove  of  the  same  name,  is  one  of  the  finest 
cone-shaped  peaks  in  New  England. 

Two  hunters,  with  their  dog  Bose,  were  skirting  the 
lake,  — so  the  story  has  it.  For  some  days  they  had  shot 
nothing,  and  were  suffering  for  food.  As  they  passed  the 


i2o  "BOSE-BUCK  COVE." 

foot  of  the  cove,  Bose  started  a  buck,  which  ran  directly 
up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  till  the  dog  overtook  and 
pulled  it  down.  So  they  named  the  peak  Base1  s-buck. 

In  the  north-east,  too,  a  very  high  blue  mountain  is  visi- 
ble over  the  nearer  peaks.  This  is  one  of  the  Boundary 
Mountains.  Over  all  the  hills  which  border  the  lake 
shores,  a  heavy  mixed  growth  comes  down  to  the  very 
water's  edge ;  spruce,  birch  and  maple,  mainly,  with  here 
and  there  a  grand  old  pine  rising  head  and  shoulders 
above  every  thing  else. 

On  the  west  side,  above  the  cove,  there  is  a  grand  slope 
leading  up  from  the  shore,  for  a  mile,  to  the  height  of 
land. 

"  What  a  place  for  a  farm  ! "  Scott  exclaimed,  as  we  re- 
marked it  "  A  fellow  might  make  a  paradise  for  himself 
on  that  slope  !  And  what  a  view  he  would  enjoy  all  his 
life  long ! " 

There  are  no  islands  in  the  lower  part  of  the  lake. 
Toward  the  northern  end  and  above  "  Indian  Field  Point" 
there  is  a  chain  of  three  wooded  islets  extending  down 
in  a  line ;  and  above  these  there  are  numerous  curious 
floating  islands,  some  of  an  acre  in  extent,  which  rise  and 
fall  with  the  lake  surface.  They  are  covered  with  water- 
grass  and  a  few  low  shrubs.  These  are  the  favorite 
haunts  of  the  musk-rat ;  the  islands  are  studded  with  their 
mud  huts.  The  head  of  Parmachenee  Lake  is  probably 
the  best  place  for  musk-rats  in  the  State  of  Maine.  But  the 
poor  little  creatures  are  scarcely  worth  hunting  ;  for  some 


THE   UPPER   ISLANDS.  121 

years  their  skins  have  brought  no  more  than  fifteen  and 
eighteen  cents,  and  often  not  over  twelve  cents.  The 
afternoon  was  very  pleasant.  There  was  no  breeze.  The 
lake  lay  smooth  as  glass  before  us.  A  soft  haze  rested  on 
the  mountains ;  and  the  sunlight  was  mellow  and  warm. 
It  was  the  poetry  of  October  weather. 

As  we  rowed  on,  we  espied  a  very  large  flock  of  shel- 
drakes, and  gradually  approached  them  ;  but  when  within 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  they  saw  us  and  began  to  swim  off. 
Fred  took  up  the  little  rifle  and  fired  after  them.  We 
could  distinctly  hear  the  whizzing  of  the  slug,  so  still  was 
the  air.  It  struck  a  little  short,  and  went  skipping  in 
among  them,  at  which  there  was  a  prolonged  quacking  and 
flapping  of  wings ;  but  they  did  not  rise. 

Reloading  quickly,  Fred  fired  again  and  again,  without 
striking  any  one  of  the  flock.  It  was  not  till  the  fifth  or 
sixth  shot  that  they  rose.  There  were  not  less  than  fifty. 
They  circled  about  for  some  minutes,  then  settled  on  the 
lake  again  at  a  distance  of  a  mile  or  over. 

We  were  nearly  or  quite  an  hour  rowing  up  to  Indian  Point, 
which  from  the  south  side  seems  a  part  of  the  north  shore, 
but  which  in  reality  separates  the  lake  from  a  roomy  expanse 
of  a  square  mile  or  over,  known  as  "  Indian  Cove." 

We  explored  this  cove  pretty  thoroughly,  in  search  of  the 
inlet  where  the  Magalloway  enters  the  lake.  But  the  inlet 
is  not  through  this  cove,  but  off  to  the  north-east.  We  at 
length  got  into  it  by  passing  in  between  the  second  and  third 
of  the  wooded  islands. 


122  "  CLEAVELAND'S  CAMP." 

We  had  heard  that  there  was  a  logging  camp  on  the  Ma- 
galloway  at  a  little  distance  above  the  lake ;  and  there  we  had 
had  it  in  mind  to  take  up  our  abode  while  at  the  lake.  The 
stream  enters  the  lake  through  a  marsh  full  of  black  alder. 
It  winds  deviously  about  for  a  half  mile  or  more.  The  whole 
upper  end  of  the  lake  is  in  process  of  filling  up  with  alluvial 
matter  .brought  down  by  the  river.  Probably  the  lake  occu- 
pied the  whole  space  back  to  the  woods  formally.  But  even 
after  entering  the  woods,  we  found  little  current.  There 
were  long  stretches  of  dead  water. 

The  camp  of  which  we  were  in  search  is  located  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  stream,  not  quite  a  mile  above  the  lake. 
Farr  was  the  first  to  espy  it. 

"  Here  we  are  ! "  he  sang  out,  pointing  in,  past  a  great 
yellow  birch  trunk. 

"Two  camps,"  said  Scott. 

"One's  the  ox-camp,"  Fred  explained. 

"The  other  must  be  the  man-camp,"  Scott  reasoned. 

We  landed,  to  explore  our  prospective  home.  It  was  close 
upon  the  bank  of  the  stream,  —  not  more  than  twenty  yards 
from  it :  a  great  ark  of  a  camp,  big  enough  to  accommodate 
forty  men,  as  thick  as  they  usually  stow  them  in  a  logging 
shanty.  We  were  a  little  dismayed  to  find  the  roof  broken 
in  at  one  end.  Heavy  snows  had  done  it.  The  end  next 
the  door  was  sound,  however,  for  twenty  feet  or  upwards. 

"  Well,  there  is  enough  of  it  left  for  us,  as  it  is,"  said  Fred, 
after  we  had  surveyed  the  ruin. 

This  camp,  unlike  the  most  of  them,  had  a  double  roof. 


"CLEAVELANDS    CAMP.  123 

Evidently  it  had  been  in  its  day  a  sort  of  palace  among  shan- 
ties. There  was  a  floor  of  hewn  planks,  and  a  stove  with 
two  broken  legs  lying  partially  under  the  wreck  of  the  roof. 

There  was  also  a  grindstone,  where  the  men  sharpened  their 
axes,  and  an  anchor  and  anchor-line  four  or  five  hundred 
feet  in  length,  used  in  warping  rafts  of  logs  down  the  lake. 

In  one  of  the  logs  in  the  end  of  the  camp  there  were  cut 
the  words,  "  Cleaveland's  camp."  This  Cleaveland,  Fred  told 
us,  had  been  a  noted  lumbering  "  boss  "  in  this  region. 

We  at  once  proceeded  to  set  ourselves  up  in  house- 
keeping, in  the  habitable  end  of  the  camp.  The  roof  had 
broken  down  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  out  the  weather,  even 
from  the  ruinous  end.  It  looked  as  if  we  might  make 
ourselves  comfortable.  The  old  stove  was  extracted  from 
the  fallen  splits,  two  stones  substituted  for  its  broken  legs,  and 
a  hole  cut  through  the  roof  for  the  bruised  and  battered 
funnel.  It  was  not  so  good  a  stove  as  the  one  down  at  the 
Gorge  camp ;  it  did  not  draw  so  well,  and  it  had  no  "  ele- 
vated oven."  As  cooks,  we  liked  "  elevated  ovens." 

In  order  to  have  bait  for  our  mink  and  otter  traps,  Fred 
and  I  went  back  down  the  stream  to  the  lake  (having  first 
unloaded  the  bateau),  to  set  traps  for  musk-rats  on  those 
floating  islands  where  we  had  seen  their  huts. 

In  setting  these  traps  for  musk-rat,  we  took  no  pains  to 
conceal  or  cover  them ;  simply  staked  them  down  and  left 
them  uncovered,  in  the  paths  made  by  the  rats. 

On  some  of  the  islands  there  was  a  perfect  net-work  of 
these  paths;  and  I  counted  not  less  than  twenty  huts. 


124  MUSK-RAT   HAUNTS. 

These  latter  are  on  the  same  plan  as  those  of  the  beaver, 
only  smaller  and  not  so  well  finished.  But  the  principle  is 
the  same.  In  both  cases  the  entrance  is  from  beneath  and 
under  water. 

The  musk-rat  lives  mainly  on  water-grass,  roots  and  twigs. 
It  is  not  frequently  seen  out  by  day.  We  saw  nothing  of 
them,  not  so  much  as  a  glimpse,  that  afternoon.  Asleep  in 
their  huts,  perhaps. 

Where  the  floating  islands  were  of  considerable  extent,  they 
bore  our  weight  readily ;  but  the  smaller  ones  would  begin 
to  settle  gradually,  deeper  and  deeper  under  the  water,  till 
we  were  glad  to  leap  into  the  boat  to  avoid  going  over  boots. 

The  upper  end  of  the  lake,  above  Indian  Point,  was  a  very 
curious  place,  with  its  floating  islets,  covered  with  waving 
grass  and  populous  with  huts,  inclosed  in  a  dark  border  of 
evergreen  forest.  By  slightly  magnifying  the  huts,  in  imagi- 
nation, one  could  fancy  that  he  had  come  upon  some  pre- 
historic settlement  of  the  early  human  times, —  a  colony  of 
rude  lake-dwellers,  living  here  in  utter  seclusion  and  har- 
mony. We  had  invaded  their  long-secure  retreat ;  and,  alas  ! 
we  were  bringing  nothing  but  war  and  death  for  them. 

But  such  ideas  have  no  business  in  the  minds  of  trappers 
and  hunters.  We  had  come  to  slay  and  play,  —  to  get  gain 
from  it.  A  new  and  terrible  destructive  enemy  had  come 
upon  the  pigmy  settlement,  an  insatiable  foe,  who  would 
never  rest  till  the  last  skin  was  in  his  bag. 

We  set  sixteen  traps  and  went  back  to  camp.  It  had 
clouded  over,  and  begun  to  rain  a  little  after  sunset. 


SETTING-TRAPS.  125 

Fan  and  Scott  had  got  every  thing  under  cover,  and  had 
the  stove  hot  and  supper  cooking.  For  variety,  Farr  had 
stewed  some  beans  and  made  a  Johnny  cake. 

Before  the  shower  had  begun  to  fall,  Scott  had  brought  in 
a  great  quantity  of  boughs,  of  both  fir  and  spruce,  for  a  bed. 
We  drew  the  bateau  out  of  the  stream,  so  that  it  could  not 
be  stolen  without  our  hearing  something  of  it. 

There  were  no  signs  of  a  party  having  been  about  the 
camp  here,  and  we  had  seen  nothing  more  of  the  prowling 
man  at  the  dam. 

"  He  may  have  been  only  some  straggling  hunter,"  Fred 
said. 

In  the  ox-camp,  which  was  placed  about  a  hundred  feet 
from  the  other,  Farr  had  found  as  many  as  twenty  axes 
stowed  away  in  a  grain  box.  This  ox-camp  was  a  dreadful- 
ly dirty  hole,  dark  and  stinking.  It  was  roofed  with  sods 
and  dirt  to  the  depth  of  two  feet.  In  winter  it  may  have 
been  warm,  but  now  it  dripped  constantly. 

As  it  grew  dark,  we  heard  the  cries  of  many  wild  creatures, 
some  near,  some  at  a  distance.  The  wilderness  clearly  had 
its  dwellers.  Night  called  them  out.  We  were,  as  we  now 
began  to  feel,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  wild  lands.  Not  a 
single  human  habitation  within  thirty  or  forty  miles !  If 
there  were  savage  beasts  in  the  forest  at  all,  they  were  here, 
no  doubt,  and  these  were  their  cries. 

From  up  the  river  the  roar  of  falls  came  borne  on  the 
still  air.  The  rain  had  ceased,  for  a  time,  though  it  was  very 
cloudy  and  the  air  was  thick  with  mist.  Objects  had  a  wild 


126  CIRCUMSTANCES    RENDER   US   UNEASY. 

gloom  about  them.  We  were  not  afraid,  but  this  impres- 
sion clung  to  us.  Then  there  came  the  thought  of  the  woods- 
men, who  had  likely  as  not  been  observing  our  movements  : 
this  was  the  only  real  dread  we  experienced.  The  presence 
of  man,  or  at  least,  of  men  of  this  sort,  brought  no  reassur- 
ing feeling  of  companionship.  So  far  from  the  settlements 
and  the  protection  of  law,  crime  knew  no  restraint.  Deeds, 
however  dark,  could  not  be  punished.  Here  we  must  look 
out  for  ourselves,  and  make  our  own  rights  good  by  force, 
if  necessary.  So  used  do  we  grow  to  the  protection  which 
the  laws  give  us,  that  it  is  a  bewildering  thought  to  know,  for 
the  first  time,  that  one  is  beyond  their  reach,  and  that  his 
safety  lies  in  his  own  strength  and  courage.  At  first  it  sends 
a  strangely  insecure  feeling  over  a  person;  afterwards  he 
comes  to  enjoy  it  and  feel  the  freer. 

There  were  plenty  of  owls  here ;  and  as  the  evening  ad- 
vanced we  heard  a  loud  snort,  followed  by  others  from  the 
east  bank  of  the  stream.  Scott  took  up  the  rifle,  to  fire  in 
the  direction  of  them. 

"  I  don't  believe  I  would  fire,"  Fred  said. 

"  It  will  do  no  good,  and  it  may  do  hurt.  We  had  better 
fire  no  more  than  is  necessary  here." 

Scott  desisted  readily. 

We  fastened  our  door  securely.  As  for  Spot,  we  could 
never  get  him  out  of  the  camp  after  dark ;  he  was  the 
most  inveterate  coward  I  ever  fell  in  with  —  for  a  dog. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Trapping  in  Earnest.— Early  Astir.  — The  Shyness  of  Wild  Animals. 

—  Eight  Musk-rats.  — The   Plain   Prose  of  Trapping.  —  "  Little 
Boy's  Falls."  —  Moose  and  Deer  Signs.  —  Mink  Traps.  —  Scents. 

—  Otter  Traps.—  Otter  "  Slides."—  Caution.  —  Our  "  Saple  Line." 

—  The  Pine  Marten.  —  Setting  up  "  Dead  Falls."  —  Some  Prime 
Partridge  Shooting.  —  Our  First  Mink.  —  Our  First  Marten. 

T~^  RED  waked  me  early. 

JL  "  Let's  go  look  at  our  traps,"  he  said.  "  We  must  be 
up  early  mornings,  now.  Time's  precious.  Farr  and  Scott 
can  get  the  breakfast." 

We  launched  the  bateau  and  paddled  down  the  river. 
The  mist  felt  cold.  It  was  barely  light.  There  was  frost  on 
the  wet  dead  leaves  and  on  the  water-grass.  I  shivered  till 
warmed  by  the  exercise  of  rowing. 

Some  creature  swam  the  stream  at  a  distance  below  us,  and 
partially  around  a  bend.  We  heard  the  splashing,  but  could 
see  nothing  distinctly.  Fred  thought  it  might  be  a  deer,  or 
possibly  a  moose.  There  was  a  snapping  of  brush  as  it  ran 
off  on  the  east  side.  Evidently  there  was  game  enough 
about,  if  we  were  smart  enough  to  take  it. 

It  was  the  dream  of  young  sportsmen,  particularly  those 
from  the  cities,  that  in  these  wild  regions  game  of  all  sorts 


128  EIGHT   MUSK-RATS. 

is  plenty,  —  so  plenty  that  by  just  going  out  and  walking  foi 
a  few  miles  in  the  forest,  deer,  bears,  and  eyen  moose  can  be 
frequently  shot.  But  the  fact  is,  that  all  these  larger  wild 
animals  are  exceedingly  shy ;  and  their  senses  are  so  acute 
that  an  amateur  sportsman  might  hunt  in  these  forests  weeks 
together  and  never  have  even  a  glimpse  of  them.  They  hear, 
see,  or  smell,  and  are  off  long  before  he  is  aware  of  their  pres- 
ence. It  is  only  by  the  utmost  caution  and  by  overmatching 
their  natural  keenness  by  successful  stratagem,  that  game  of 
this  sort  can  be  taken :  this,  at  least,  is  the  rule,  though  it 
sometimes  happens  that  an  animal  is  stumbled  upon  and  shot 
in  a  manner  most  unaccountable  to  one  who  appreciates 
their  natural  shyness  and  acuteness. 

It  was  with  a  good  deal  of  expectation  that  we  drew  near 
the  musk-rat  colony  on  the  floating  islands.  We  could  see 
them  hopping  about  in  the  traps  amid  the  grass,  while  yet  at 
a  distance. 

"I  set  it  at  six,"  Fred  said. 

I  thought  four  would  be  nearer  the  mark. 

There  were  eight  of  them,  hard  and  fast  by  the  legs, 
leaping  about  and  gritting  their  teeth.  One  was  caught 
round  the  body  and  squeezed  to  death ;  it  was  a  trap  large 
enough  for  an  otter.  In  two  traps  we  found  only  toes.  "  Foot- 
ed themselves,"  Fred  said,  meaning  that  they  had  gnawed 
off  their  legs  to  escape.  Minks  also  do  this  frequently. 

Some  of  the  larger  ones,  the  old  male  rats,  jumped  at  us 
ferociously  when  we  approached  to  lap  them  on  the  head ; 
and  when  struck  they  uttered  a  curious  squeak. 


THE   PLAIN   PROSE  OF  TRAPPING.  129 

It  seemed  too  bad,  but  then  "business  is  business." 
With  as  little  waste  of  time  as  possible,  we  reset  the  traps  and 
pulled  back  to  camp,  keeping  attentive  eyes  to  every  thing 
stirring,  or  the  least  signs  or  sounds  of  game :  this  is  the 
hunter's  art. 

Fair  and  Scott  were  up  and  getting  breakfast. 

Fred  began  to  skin  rats  at  once.  I  made  "  stretchers  "  for 
him  out  of  the  dry  pine  splits,  off  the  roof.  We  took  the 
skins  off  whole,  and  immediately  stretched  them  on  the  shin- 
gles, as  I  prepared  them. 

Skinning  musk-rats,  or  any  other  sort  of  game,  is  work,  not 
play ;  very  disagreeable  work  I  call  it.  If  the  reader's  nose 
has  never  realized  the  odor  that  a  musk-rat  emits  while  under 
the  knife,  he  must  imagine  it,  that  is  all ;  for  my  own  part,  I 
would  much  sooner  imagine  it  than  smell  it.  But  it  is  a  job 
that  has  to  be  done,  none  the  less. 

We  figured  up  our  morning's  profit  at  one  dollar  and  twen- 
ty cents,  reckoning  the  skins  fifteen  cents  apiece. 

This  was  our  first  profit,  too;  hitherto  it  had  been  all 
outset. 

It  encouraged  us  and  filled  us  with  zeal.  We  believed  we 
could  make  something,  and  determined  to  work.  And  from 
that  time  forward  we  did  work.  I  never  labored  harder  than 
during  those  weeks  trapping  and  hunting  at  the  head  of 
Parmachenee.  We  got  up  early  and  kept  busy  till  dark, 
then  skinned  game  till  bedtime.  We  neither  loafed  nor 
played  a  moment  that  I  can  now  recall.  It  was  business, 
steady  business,  every  hour. 

9 


130  "LITTLE  BOYS  FALLS. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  -was  despatched,  we  set  off  up  the 
river,  with  traps  and  bait,  to  explore  the  falls,  and  put 
down  mink-traps,  if  there  were  signs  of  mink. 

It  is  rather  over  a  mile  up  to  the  falls,  — "  Little  Boy's 
Falls,"  they  are  called. 

An  Indian  with  his  family  were  once  crossing  above  the 
falls,  when  a  pappoose  tumbled  off  their  raft  and  was  car- 
ried over.  They  got  the  little  monkey  out  alive,  however. 
Hence  the  name  of  Pappoose,  or,  as  it  is  more  commonly 
called,  "Little  Boy's  Falls." 

It  is  a  pretty  fall  of  about  six  feet.  The  locality  and 
the  ledges  which  make  the  cascade  are  much  like  those  at 
"  The  Narrows." 

A  little  below  the  fall  there  is  a  bark  shed,  built  by 
some  trapper,  perhaps.  It  is  only  large  enough  to  shelter 
two,  at  most.  Past  it  runs  a  little  brook,  that  flows  into 
the  stream  from  a  pond  only  a  few  rods  from  the  brook  ; 
so  near,  indeed,  that  we  drew  out  the  bateau  and  carried 
it  across  to  launch  it,  but  were  deterred  by  what  we  saw 
in  the  moss  and  in  the  sand  on  the  shore.  All  along  the 
water's  edge  the  tracks  of  deer  were  as  plenty  as  are 
sheep-tracks  when  a  large  flock  have  passed.  Among 
these,  too,  Fred  pointed  to  more  than  a  score  of  great  hoof- 
prints. 

"  Moose,"  said  he,  in  a  whisper. 

We  carried  back  our  boat,  without  a  word.  It  was  a 
too  promising  locality  to  be  spoiled  by  premature  hunting, 
or  even  by  showing  ourselves  on  the  shore. 


MOOSE  AND   DEER  SIGNS.  13! 

On  the  west  side  of  the  falls,  a  bluff  rises  almost  per- 
pendicularly. There  are  shelving  rocks  and  many  old 
roots  with  holes  under  them.  These  holes  were  nearly  all 
worn,  as  if  by  animals  passing  in  and  out.  Here  we  set 
five  traps  for  mink,  in  the  holes.  We  staked  these,  and 
carefully  covered  them  over  with  leaves  and  earth.  The 
bait  Fred  generally  placed  under  the  trencher,  so  that  the 
animal  would  dig  for  it  through  the  dirt  and  leaves.  The 
entrails  of  the  rats  were  also  strung  about,  to  make  a 
scented  trail  to  the  traps.  Fred  had  also  brought  a  bottle 
of  the  oil  of  anise,  with  which  he  perfumed  the  traps  them- 
selves, to  take  away  the  odor  of  rusty  iron,  which  both 
mink  and  otter  are  quick  to  detect  and  instinctively  avoid. 

This  occupied  the  forenoon. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  went  off  to  set  otter  traps  —  we 
had  four  large  enough  for  otter  —  at  a  little  pond  to  the 
west  of  the  Cleaveland  camp.  Farr  had  explored  it  the 
previous  afternoon  while  we  were  setting  for  musk-rat. 
He  had  found  what  he  called  two  otter  slides,  and  they 
may  have  been  such ;  the  bank,  indeed,  was  worn  smooth, 
as  if  by  something  sliding  down  it.  We  set  two  traps 
under  water  at  the  foot  of  one  of  these  and  another  at  the 
second.  All  three  were  chained  to  poles  such  as  trappers 
call  "sliding  poles."  If  the  otters  should  be  minded  to 
slide  here,  we  supposed  that  they  might  possibly  slide  a 
leg  into  the  traps.  That  was  Farr's  idea,  at  least. 

Along  the  farther  shore  of  this  pond  we  saw,  as  at  the 
pond  above,  a  vast  number  of  deer  tracks.  In  some 


132  OUR   "SAPLE   LINE. 

places  the  ground  was  trodden  hard ;  and  there  were  occa 
sional  moose  tracks  here,  too. 

In  all  our  movements  here  we  used  care  to  make  as 
little  noise  as  possible,  and  refrained  from  all  loud  conver- 
sation and  from  firing  the  guns. 

It  is  a  very  easy  matter  to  frighten  off  game  from  any 
given  locality.  The  more  quiet  the  trapper  keeps,  the 
greater  are  his  ( chances  for  success.  Animals  do  not 
readily  leave  their  accustomed  haunts,  unless  rudely 
scared.  But  a  continuous  discharging  of  guns  will  rout 
them  in  a  very  few  days.  This  is  especially  the  case  with 
beaver,  and  to  a  less  extent  with  otter. 

The  next  morning  we  had  seven  musk-rats ;  and  on 
going  up  to  Little  Boy's  Falls  we  found  that  a  mink  had 
been  in  one  of  the  traps,  set  in  a  hole  under  a  birch  root ; 
but  the  trap  had  not  held  him  —  for  some  reason.  We 
knew  it  was  a  mink,  from  the  hair  left,  on  the  trap  jaws. 
This  was  vexatious  enough  ;  for  a  mink  is  now  worth  from 
five  to  seven  dollars ;  and  mink  were  our  great  expectation. 

The  day  after,  and  also  Monday  and  Tuesday  the  fol- 
lowing week,  we  were  employed  in  setting  up  a  "saple 
line,"  clean  around  the  lake ;  going  down  the  east  shore 
and  coming  back  up  the  west  shore ;  and  keeping  the 
height  of  land  on  the  hills  above  the  lake,  from  half  a  mile 
to  a  mile  back  from  the  water. 

The  pine  marten  is  moderately  plentiful  in  these  forests, 
though  rarely  seen. 

Fred  tells  me  that  one  day  while  hunting  near  the  Rich- 


THE  PINE   MARTEN.  133 

ardson  Lake  he  sat  down  to  rest  on  a  stone,  and  a  few 
minutes  after  saw  a  marten  come  out  in  sight,  following  his 
track.  He  had  a  bunch  of  partridges  in  his  hand.  The 
marten  had  smelled  them  and  followed  him.  But  the  instant 
it  caught  sight  of  Fred,  it  vanished  like  a  sun-ray,  —  before 
he  could  even  cock  his  gun. 

They  are  very  shy  little  creatures. 

Our  "  line  "  consisted  of  a  hundred  and  thirty-one  traps,  in 
all,  set  at  intervals  of  thirty-five  and  forty  rods.  These  were 
all  wooden  traps,  of  the  kind  known  as  "  deadfalls,"  "  squat 
traps,"  "figure-four  traps,"  etc.  The  entire  length  of  the 
line  was  from  fifteen  to  seventeen  miles.  It  was  a  pretty 
good  day's  work  to  "  go  over  the  line,"  carry  bait,  reset  such 
traps  as  were  sprung,  and  carry  home  the  game,  if  there  was 
any.  The.n  there  was  the  drag  to  draw. 

Two  of  us  always  went  together  on  this  round.  It  was  not 
quite  safe  for  one  to  go  off  alone  for  so  long  a  trip,  through 
such  a  wilderness,  even  if  he  was  sure  of  getting  round  before 
dark. 

To  set  up  a  hundred  and  thirty-one  traps  of  this  sort  was 
something  of  a  job ;  as  much  as  we  could  well  do  in  three  days, 
all  four  of  us.  Fair  and  Scott  went  ahead.  At  the  place 
where  it  was  desirable  to  build  a  trap,  they  fell  to  work,  and 
either  cut  up  a  quantity  of  stakes  from  saplings  of  the  required 
length,  —  about  two  feet,  —  or  else  cut  into  the  trunk  of  a  fir 
or  a  spruce,  and  split  out  thick  slivers  to  serve  as  stakes. 

It  was  my  duty  to  make  the  cuddy  of  the  trap,  by  driving 
three  stakes  into  the  ground  on  three  sides  of  a  little  square, 


134  SETTING  UP  "DEAD  FALLS." 

a  side  of  which  would  generally  measure  about  fifteen  inches. 
Besides  the  stakes,  it  was  the  duty  of  Scott  and  Fair  to  pro- 
vide two  poles  for  the  "  fall,"  and  two  logs  or  heavy  chunks  of 
wood  for  weights.  Fred  brought  up  the  rear,  drawing  the 
scented  "  drag  "  of  musk-rat  carcasses,  and  bringing  the  bait. 
He  carried  also  a  pine  "  split,"  out  of  which  he  made  with 
his  pocket-knife  the  spindle  and  "  figure-four  "  arrangement. 
With  him  rested  the  care  of  the  baiting  and  setting  the  traps 
ready  for  the  martens.  It  was  furthermore  my  duty  to  spot 
trees  at  intervals  of  a  hundred  yards  along  the  whole  line,  in 
order  that  we  might  be  able  to  follow  it  without  difficulty  in 
future. 

There  was  an  enjoyment  from  this  work  such  as  I  cannot 
hope  to  make  plain  to  the  reader.  It  came  to  us  out  of  the 
free,  boundless  forest,  from  the  exercise  itself,  as  well  as  from 
the  hope  of  game  to  be  captured.  Yet  were  I  to  dwell  on 
all  these  minor  incidents,  the  story  might  be  deemed  but  a 
tedious  recital.  I  can  only  urge  the  reader  to  bury  himself 
for  a  few  weeks  in  the  woods,  if  he  would  experience  it. 

Down  at  the  dam,  too,  and  on  the  rapids  below,  we  set 
eight  or  ten  more  traps  for  mink. 

In  the  wooded  valley  above  Mount  Bose-buck  on  the  west 
of  the  lake  and  on  the  hard-growth  slopes  farther  up,  we  found 
the  partridges  so  plenty  that  a  dozen  could  be  shot  by  simply 
walking  the  "  line."  Never  in  any  other  spot  have  I  seen 
them  so  numerous.  This  was  about  five  miles  below  our 
camp ;  and  we  decided  to  do  our  bird-shooting  here  exclu- 
sively, within  the  compass  of  a  couple  of  miles.  The  firing 


PARTRIDGE   SHOOTING.  135 

would  not  be  heard  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  A  few  martens 
might  be  frightened  off,  —  but  then  we  must  have  partridges. 

During  the  time  we  were  in  camp  there,  I  think  we  shot 
rising  a  hundred  and  fifty  in  all,  the  most  of  them  over  here 
among  the  hard-wood  growth  on  this  side  of  the  lake.  Some- 
times we  set  off  in  the  bateau  on  purpose  to  shoot  partridges, 
but  generally  they  were  shot  while  making  the  round  of  the 
"  saple  line." 

While  making  these  trips  through  the  forest,  we  had  kept 
a  sharp  eye  to  another  possible  source  of  profit,  to  wit,  spruce 
gum.  Fair  had  even  dug  a  few  pounds  experimentally.  On 
the  ridge  and  mountain  sides  where  the  spruce  form  nearly 
the  entire  growth,  gum  was  to  be  found  in  abundance :  of 
this  fact  we  soon  satisfied  ourselves.  There  would  be  no 
great  difficulty  in  digging  a  hundred  weight. 

Rough  gum  was  worth,  we  had  learned,  from  seven  to 
twenty  cents  a  pound ;  but  pure  "  purple  gum,"  all  cleaned 
and  ready  for  chewing,  would  bring  seventy  cents,  and  even 
a  dollar  a  pound  in  the  cities. 

First  we  had  resolved  to  try  trapping  and  hunting  thorough- 
ly, then  if  game  got  scarce,  we  would  go  to  digging  gum,  and 
make  what  we  could  from  that. 

For  the  week  in  which  we  set  up  the  saple  line  we  took 
forty-three  musk-rats.  I  have  little  doubt  there  were  a 
thousand  of  them  about  the  little  islands  at  the  head  of 
the  lake. 

Farrwas  the  first  to  bring  in  a  mink.  He  found  it  in  one 
of  the  traps  at  "  Little  Boy's  Falls."  How  we  doted  over 


136  OUR   FIRST   MINK. 

that  slim  mink!  Almost  black  it  was,  with  a  beautifu1 
gloss  on  its  fur,  and  a  tail  that  fairly  glistened  in  the  light 
of  the  basin-lamp,  as  Fred  skinned  it.  This  tail  made  to 
our  eyes  a  very  fine  contrast  with  the  bare  snake-like  tails 
of  the  musk-rats,  of  which  we  already  had  a  long  row  hung 
up  on  one  side  of  the  camp. 

"  Good  for  six  dollars,"  said  Fred,  as  he  hung  it  up  to 
cure;  "worth  thirty-six  of  these  rat-skins." 

"  Nearer  forty,"  said  Farr.  "  It  don't  pay  to  trap  rats, 
anyway." 

Scott  and  I  were  the  first  to^find  marten  in  the  traps. 

Fred  and  Farr  made  the  first  round,  the  second  day  after 
we  had  set  up  the  line.  They  found  nothing,  and  were  not 
a  little  chap-fallen. 

But  two  days  after,  Scott  and  I  found  two  martens  on 
the  east  side  and  one  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake.  Ah, 
that  was  a  proud  return  to  camp  that  night, — three  "sa- 
ple  " !  It  made  Farr  shout  like  a  Methodist  Elder. 

These  martens  were  a  third,  yes,  a  half,  larger  than  a 
mink.  Over  the  back  and  sides  their  color  was  much  like 
that  of  a  fox.  Beneath,  they  were  a  reddish  white.  Their 
fur  was  very  thick,  and  though  lithe,  they  still  had  a  chubby 
look,  with  the  nose  and  head  wonderfully  slim,  sly  and 
beautiful. 

The  tails  were  much  more  bushy  than  that  of  the 
minks. 

Ah,  there's  no  sport  like  trapping  for  youngsters  of  OUT 
age  then. 


THE   MARTIN    IN   THE  TRAP. 


OUR   FIRST   MARTEN.  137 

We  reckoned  the  three  martens  worth  seven  dollars  and 
fifty  cents. 

That  night,  while  sitting  in  the  camp,  eating  supper,  I 
think,  we  heard  what  sounded  to  me  like  the  report  of  a 
gun  at  a  distance.  It  startled  us. 

"  Gun,  wasn't  that  ? "  Scott  exclaimed. 

"  Gun,  or  a  tree  broke  and  fell." 

"  There's  no  wind,"  said  Scott. 

We  were  puzzled. 

Farr  thought  it  was  a  tree.  Fred  declared  he  could  not 
tell  which  it  was..  The  more  we  thought  it  over,  the  more 
readily  we  believed  that  it  might  be  a  tree.  But  our  first 
impression  was  that  it  had  been  a  gun ;  and  first  impres- 
sions of  such  sounds  are  generally  best. 

"  I  don't  believe  we  had  better  leave  our  fur  here  in  the 
camp  days  while  we  are  off  in  the  woods,"  Fred  said,  at 
length ;  "  or  our  provisions,  either.  It  would  be  a  very  easy 
thing  for  some  prowling  party  to  come  along  and  go  through 
us." 

We  had  planned  to  go  up  the  stream  above  "  Little  Boy's 
Falls  "  the  next  day. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

We  Hide  our  Fur.  —  An  Expedition  to  Explore  the  Upper  Magallo- 
way.  — We  See  a  Caribou.  — A  Curiously  Gnawed  Stick.  — Beav- 
er!—  The  Beaver's  own  Retreat — Rump  Pond.  —  "Hist!"  — 
Two  Moose.  —  Some  Eager  Eyes.  — We  Fire  at  the  Moose. — 
An  Exciting  Chase.  — Blood  on  the  Leaves.  —  We  find  one  of  the 
Moose  Dead  in  the  Stream.  —  The  other  Escapes. —  Carrying  the 
Game  to  Camp. —  A  Laborious  Task. 

EARLY  the  next  morning,  as  soon  as  we  had  got  break- 
fast under  way,  Fred  carried  the  flour,  meal,  pota- 
toes, meat,  etc.,  off  into  a  thicket  at  some  distance  below 
the  camp,  and  covered  them  over  with  the  tent  and  the 
rubber  blankets.  The  fur  he  then  hung  up  on  the  back 
side  of  the  ox-camp.  It  was  a  dark  hole  in  there ;  and 
Fred  stood  up  old  boards  and  piled  up  the  grain-boxes  in 
such  a  way  that  a  person  would  not  be  very  likely  to  see 
the  skins,  even  if  he  went  in.  But  our  wool  blankets  and 
the  tin  ware  we  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  remove. 

Immediately  after  breakfast  we  set  off  in  the  bateau, 
pulled  up  to  Little  Boy's  Falls,  and  cut  a  path  through  the 
bushes  about  them.  Over  this  we  carried  the  bateau  and 


A  CURIOUSLY  GNAWED  STICK.  139 

launched  it  in  the  stream  above.  It  was  a  very  short 
carry,  —  not  over  four  rods  long.  We  heartily  wished  all 
the  carries  were  as  short. 

There  is  dead  water  for  half  a  mile  above,  or  at  least, 
the  current  is  not  strong.  Then  come  short  rips,  where  the 
stream  is  so  very  shallow  that,  had  our  bateau  been  loaded, 
we  could  not  have  got  up.  As  it  was,  we  had  to  lift  it  over 
two  gravel  bars.  Generally  there  was  water  enough. 

Two  miles  (for  a  guess)  above  the  falls  we  came  off 
abreast  another  camp  with  its  ox-shed,  — "  Cleaveland's 
Upper  Camp."  This  is  the  upper  limit  of  logging  opera- 
"tions.  Above  this  point  not  even  the  omnipresent  lumber- 
man has  penetrated. 

At  a  place  where  there  are  black  alder  thickets  border- 
ing the  stream,  we  saw  a  deer,  but  not  in  time  for  a  shot. 
It  had  started  to  bound  away  before  Fred  espied  it.  We 
thought  it  was  of  the  species  known  as  caribou. 

A  more  interesting  matter  immediately  claimed  our  atten- 
tion. A  stick  of  hazel,  green,  and  with  the  bark  entirely 
peeled  off,  came  floating  down.  Farr  grabbed  it  out  of  the 
water.  The  ends  were  cut  smoothly  off. 

"There's  somebody  not  far  above  here!"  he  exclaimed. 
"  This  stick  wasn't  cut  many  hours  ago !  " 

"  Let  me  look  at  that,"  said  Fred,  pulling  in  his  oars. 

We  examined  it  carefully. 

"  That  somebody  is  beavers"  he  said. 

"  Beavers ! "  Scott  exclaimed.     "  Good ! " 

"  Yes,  fellows,"  Fred  went  on,  looking  critically  at  the 


140  BEAVER! 

stick.  "  See  the  mark  of  their  teetfh?  broad  teeth.  Hard 
telling  it  from  a  knife,  at  first.  But  it's  beaver,  fast  enough ; 
done  last  night,  too.  May  be  a  mile  or  two  above  here, 
though." 

We  pulled  on,  making  just  as  little  noise  as  possible,  and 
speaking  in  whispers. 

Presently  we  came  to  where  the  stream  winds  through  a 
queer  sort  of  tract,  half  open  bottom,  filled  with  wonder- 
fully tall  water-grass,  and  interspersed  with  thickets  of 
alder  and  firs :  a  place  as  singular  in  appearance  as  I  ever 
saw.  The  stream  here  grew  so  narrow  that  our  oars  would 
sometimes  stick  in  the  banks  on  both  sides,  but  the  chan- 
nel was  very  deep,  with  little  current.  And  here,  at  a  place 
where  some  thick  and  shaggy  firs  leaned  out  from  the 
banks  —  just  after  turning  a  bend  —  we  came  upon  the 
beaver's  own  retreat !  There  were  no  houses,  but  the  bank 
around  the  firs  was  worn  and  trodden  smooth  where  it  fell 
off  into  six  or  eight  feet  of  water ;  and  the  stream  had  un- 
dermined the  roots  of  the  trees.  All  the  hazel  and  alder 
bushes  near  the  bank  had  been  gnawed  off,  and  the  ground 
was  covered  with  bare  sticks.  Many  of  these  were  float- 
ing about. 

"They  live  under  that  bank,"  Fred  whispered.  "Bet 
you  there  are  half  a  dozen  of  them  ! " 

A  little  above,  we  saw  where  they  had  felled  a  poplar,  six 
inches  across,  so  as  to  have  it  fall  out  into  the  stream. 
The  small  branches  of  this  were  completely  denuded  of 
bark. 


RUMP   POND.  141 

During  the  summer  and  early  fall,  beavers  are  seldom 
found  at  their  winter  houses.  They  wander  about  in  fam- 
ilies, and  occasionally  solitary  individuals,  visiting  many 
different  streams  over  a  considerable  territory,  till  ice  be- 
gins to  form,  when  they  once  more  seek  their  homes. 

We  supposed  this  to  be  some  such  family  which  had 
taken  up  their  abode  under  this  quiet  bank  for  a  few 
weeks. 

We  had  taken  along  our  one  large  trap.  This  we 
attached  to  a  sliding-pole  and  set  it  on  the  bottom  under 
the  ,bank.  Quietly  then,  and  without  a  loud  word,  we 
pulled  away  and  continued  our  cruise  up  stream.  We 
heard  of  a  pond  somewhere  on  the  upper  waters  of  the 
stream.  Lumbermen  called  it  "  Rump  Pond  "  :  a  reference 
to  venison,  perhaps.  We  hoped  to  reach  this  pond  that 
day. 

We  passed  the  mouths  of  numerous  brooks,  and  indeed 
the  main  stream  showed  unmistakable  signs  of  dwindling 
to  a  brook  itself. 

About  an  hour  later,  I  judge,  and  after  pulling  per- 
haps five  miles  above  "  Little  Boy's  Falls,"  we  crooked 
our  way  into  a  pond,  which  I  doubt  not  is  the  "  Rump 
Pond  "  above  mentioned.  It  was  a  rather  pretty  expanse 
of  perhaps  a  square  mile  in  extent,  set  about  with  the 
usual  evergreen  forest,  and  showing  the  tops  of  dark  peaks 
over  the  woods,  at  a  distance. 

There  is  a  pleasure  in  exploring  wild  and  unknown 
ponds  and  streams.  Something  of  this  we  felt  as  we 


142  "  HIST  !  " 

pulled  out  of  the  river  and  saw  this  new  pond  spread  out 
before^us. 

In  order  to  thoroughly  explore  it  (from  a  trapper's  point 
of  view),  we  went  up  the  west  shore,  looking  for  mink  and 
other  signs,  intending  to  return  down  the  east  shore. 

There  are  on  the  west  side  several  little  coves  where 
small  brooks  make  in.  Into  the  second  of  these,  with 
noiseless  dips  of  the  paddles,  we  were  just  turning,  when 
we  heard  distinctly  several  leisurely  splashes,  as  of  a  cow 
walking  in  a  pool,  just  within  the  cove  and  around  a 
thick  bunch  of  black  alders. 

"  Sh !  "  from  Fred. 

Momentarily  we  reversed  the  stroke. 

Scott  was  in  the  bow.  He  peeped  with  eyes  round  as  a 
lynx's.  But  the  alders  were  too  thick.  Fred  crawled 
along  beside  Scott.  They  both  peered  eagerly.  Then 
Fred's  hand  dipped  cautiously  in  the  water  and  paddled 
us  imperceptibly  forward  a  yard  or  more  :  both  staring  in- 
tently all  the  while,  with  Farr  and  myself  craning  our 
necks  for  a  glimpse,  one  hand  on  our  guns. 

Suddenly,  Fred  started  and  ducked  his  head.  I  saw 
his  hand  feeling  behind  for  his  gun. 

"  Moose ! "  he  breathed  to  us  behind  his  other  hand. 

Farr's  eyes  glistened.  I  presume  my  own  fairly  snapped 
with  excitement.  But  every  other  second,  Fred  would 
turn  us  just  the  white  of  one  of  his,  warningly  and  be- 
seechingly. As  for  Scott,  he  had  caught  sight  of  the 
game  at  last  and  stared  rapturously,  never  once  winking, 
and  evidently  quite  forgetful  of  the  rifle. 


TWO   MOOSE.  143 

Farr  and  I  could  not  stand  this.  We  were  expiring  for 
a  look.  We  began  to  crawl  forward,  regardless  of  the 
prayers  in  Fred's  eye.  Seeing  us  coming,  he  cocked  both 
barrels  ;  and  hearing  the  faint  clicks,  Scott  grabbed  for 
his  own  rifle  ;  he  had  just  thought  of  it. 

"  Look,  if  you  must !  "  Fred  aspirated. 

Like  two  clumsy  snakes,  Farr  and  I  crawled  over  the 
thwarts  and  partly  on  to  Fred.  Our  four  heads  were  now 
all  in  the  bow.  We  were  all  eyes  then.  Ah  !  but  wasn't 
that  a  picture  for  a  hunter's  optics ! 

Up  in  the  cove,  close  under  a  bunch  of  swamp  maples 
that  hung  out  over  the  water,  and  standing  knee-deep 
among  reeds  and  pickerel  grass,  and  all  in  the  shadow  of 
the  tall  dark  firs  behind,  there  they  stood,  two  of  them. 
Perhaps  it  was  sixty  yards :  not  over  that.  They  had  not 
heard  us,  or  at  least,  they  had  not  seen  us.  I  could  think 
of  nothing  but  two  great  donkeys,  or  rather,  two  enor- 
mous rabbits. 

Neither  of  them  had  antlers,  but  they  had  prodigious 
flapping  ears.  They  were  nosing  the  water  and  the  grass, 
and  as  I  looked,  the  larger  raised  its  ungainly  nose  and 
with  its  muffle  and  teeth  cropped  the  twigs  of  the  swamp 
maple.  They  looked  to  me  quite  black,  where  they  stood, 
and  seemed  grotesquely* ugly  ;  ungainly  in  every  part,  as 
we  appreciate  beauty. 

But  poor  Farr  had  not  yet  got  a  good  look.  I  doubt  if 
he  had  even  got  his  eye  on  them,  through  the  alder  brush. 
We  made  a  fresh  effort  to  get  farther  forward,  on  to  Scott 


144  WE  FIRE  AT  THE  MOOSE. 

And  in  so  doing  he  hit  his  toe  against  the  tin  bailer  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat.     It  rattled. 

"  You've  done  it  now,"  Fred  whispered,  in  disgust. 

Instantly  both  moose  started  sharply,  raising  their  huge 
ears.  For  an  instant  they  stood  cowering,  —  trembling,  I 
fancied,  —  their  great  eyes  dilating  toward  the  alders. 

"  Fire,  Scott,"  Fred  whispered.     "  Let  drive  !  " 

One!  spoke  the  little  breech-loader. 

A  loud  snort!  A  mighty  splashing!  Bang — bang: 
both  barrels  of  Fred's  gun.  I  had  a  long  single-barrel, 
and  fired  the  same  moment  through  the  smoke  at  what  I 
took  for  the  moose,  —  one  or  both  :  and  Farr  let  fly  both 
barrels  of  his  shot-gun, — at  random,  necessarily.  There 
was  a  smash  of  brush,  a  jar  and  pounding  of  the  ground. 
Almost  at  the  same  instant  a  singular  sound,  twice  re- 
peated, such  as  I  once  heard  a  young  elephant  at  a  mena- 
gerie make  through  his  trunk. 

"  Pull  in  !  Pull  in !  "  Fred  shouted. 

Under  our  excited  strokes  the  bateau  forged  into  the 
cove  and  plunged  through  the  reeds  into  the  muddy  bank. 
We  jumped  out  and  looked  for  traces.  There  were  deep 
hoof-prints  in  the  soft  black  muck.  The  water  was  turbid 
with  mud ;  and  on  the  slime  and  beaten-down  reeds  there 
was  a  tinge  of  blood.  * 

"  Some  of  us  hit !  "  Farr  exclaimed. 
"And  look  here,"  said  Fred. 

On  the  round  withered  leaf  of  an  orchis  there  stood  a 
bright  red  drop,  and  against  the  trunk  of  a  fir  another  had 


AN   EXCITING   CHASE.  145 

spattered  and  run  down ;  and  still  farther  up  the  bank, 
another  had  splashed  on  a  white  birch. 

"  Blood  flew  well,"  said  Scott.     "  But  they're  gone." 

Fred  was  hastily  re-loading.  Farr  and  I  followed  his 
example.  Whether  one  or  both  were  seriously  wounded, 
we  could  only  guess.  They  had  gone  out  of  sight  and 
hearing. 

"  Too  bad  we  left  Spot,"  Fred  said  ;  for  lest  he  should 
bother  us,  by  eating  bait  or  frightening  game,  we  had  left 
him  shut  into  the  camp  that  morning.  Spot  was  not  a 
good  trapping  dog ;  he  had  little  knowledge  of  any  thing 
save  of  his  own  wants.  It  was  a  mistake  from  the  outset 
taking  a  dog.  But  just  now  he  might  have  been  of  use. 

The  prints  of  their  hoofs  were  plainly  visible,  however, 
on  the  dead  leaves.  We  followed  in  hot  haste.  Blood 
drops  here  and  there  encouraged  us.  For  a  considerable 
distance  — a  mile,  very  likely —  the  moose,  ran  off  up  from 
the  pond  shore  to  higher  land.  They  were  keeping  to- 
gether. At  places  where  the  ground  was  moist,  we 
tracked  both  of  them.  The  direction  must  have  been 
west  or  north-west ;  though  we  paid  little  attention,  in  our 
excitement.  Soon,  however,  the  trail  veered.  The  moose 
had  tacked  for  lower  ground  again. 

"  Making  for  water ! "  panted  Fred. 

We  ran  on,  in  better  hopes. 

"  Good  sign,"  Farr  said. 

But  we  were  in  nowise  certain  that  they  were  going  for 
water. 

10 


146  ONE  MOOSE   DEAD   IN  THE  STREAM. 

A  hundred  rods  farther  on,  we  entered  a  great  alder 
bottom  full  of  grass,  bushes  and  cat-tails.  Here  there  was 
a  very  distinct  trail ;  but  it  was  slow  work  beating  through 
the  undergrowth.  Tearing  ahead,  we  came  out  upon  a 
big  brook,  and  almost  at  the  same  moment  heard  a  crash 
of  twigs,  a  snort,  then  another  of  those  trumpeting  squeaks. 
Fred  was  ahead.  He  fired. 

"  One  of  them ! "  he  shouted.  "  Gone  like  a  streak !  — 
Come  on." 

We  jumped  into  the  brook  waist  deep,  splashed  through 
it,  and  were  climbing  up  the  bank,  when  Farr  stopped 
short. 

"Why!  See  there!"  he  exclaimed,  pointing  into  the 
brush  and  water  in  the  bed  of  the  brook,  a  few  yards 
above  where  we  were  crossing. 

What  seemed  a  great  mass  of  wet  hair  and  hoofs  lay  half 
under  water ! 

"  By  Jove  !  "  cried  Fred.     "  If  there  isn't  the  moose!" 

There  it  lay,  sure  enough,  flat  in  the  brook,  dead  as  a 
stone  1 

The  thing  astonished  us.  After  drinking,  it  would  seem 
to  have  fallen  dead  in  the  water.  The  other  had  stayed 
about  till  we  came  up. 

Farr  thought  that  the  smaller  one  was  a  calf;  for  this 
one  that  we  had  shot  was  a  cow-moose.  For  my  own  part, 
I  had  not  detected  much  difference  in  their  size. 

Fred  was  not  at  all  sure  that  he  had  hit  the  second  one. 
We  could  see  no  blood ;  and  after  looking  along  for  twen- 


CARRYING  THE   GAME   TO   CAMP.  147 

ty  or  thirty  rods,  we  gave  it  up ;  we  felt  very  tolerably 
content. 

This  larger  brook,  as  we  began  to  suspect,  turned  out 
to  be  the  upper  course  of  the  main  stream  above  the  pond. 
It  was  not  over  twenty  feet  wide  here,  with  many  sharp 
crooks,  but  the  depth  was  not  much  under  two  feet  at 
any  place ;  for  the  current  was  sluggish  through  the  alder 
swamps. 

As  soon  as  we  had  satisfied  ourselves  that  the  brook 
was  the  inlet  of  the  pond,  we  determined  to  take  out  the 
moose  in  our  boat.  The  carcass  was  so  heavy  that  all 
four  of  us  could  scarcely  raise  it.  We  judged  it  might 
weigh  toward  seven  hundred  pounds.  Farr  and  Scott  set 
off  to  take  the  bateau  up  the  brook ;  while  to  avoid 
carrying  a  heavier  load  than  necessary,  Fred  opened  the 
carcass  to  take  out  the  entrails. 

Wishing  to  be  able  to  state  the  actual  size  of  the  moose, 
I  carefully  measured  its  length,  as  it  lay  on  the  bank,  with 
the  tow-line,  and  indicated  the  measurements  by  knots. 
The  entire  length,  from  the  roots  of  the  tail  to  the  end  of 
its  muzzle,  was  (as  I  afterwards  verified  it  by  a  rule) 
eight  feet,  three  inches.  Its  height,  from  the  tips  of  its 
forward  hoofs  to  the  top  of  its  withers,  was  six  feet  and  an 
inch.  Its  girth  about  the  body,  just  back  of  the  fore- 
legs and  shoulders,  was  five  feet  and  eleven  inches.  This 
was  a  cow-moose,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind.  The  male  is 
said  to  be  often  a  third  larger. 

Scott  and  Farr  were  fully  two  hours  getting  the  bateau 


148  A   LABORIOUS  TASK. 

up  the  stream  to  where  the  moose  lay.  And  the  getting 
back  down  to  the  pond  with  the  heavy  carcass  aboard,  was 
a  still  longer  task.  We  had  to  lift  the  boat  over  logs  and 
"jams  "  of  brushwood  ;  wading  ourselves  nearly  the  whole 
distance  with  our  hands  on  the  gunwale. 


HAULING  THE    MOOSE   DOWN   THE   BROOK. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Farr  Smells  Smoke. —  Ugly  Fancies. —  A  Disagreeable  Surprise.  — 
We  Find  our  Camp  Burned  Down  !  —  Was  it  an  Accident  ?  — 
Spot's  Wound.  —  The  Fur  Safe.  —  Farr  Discovers  that  the  Grind- 
stone, Anchor  and  Anchor-line  have  been  Removed.  —  The  Burn- 
ing takes  the  form  of  a  very  unpleasant  Mystery.  —  Our  Blankets 
and  Whole  Kit  Stolen  or  Burned.  —  We  Camp  in  the  Grain-shed. 

AT  the  portage,  on  getting  down  to  Little  Boy's  Falls, 
we  had  another  stint.  The  moose  was  much 
heavier  and  more  unwieldly  to  carry  across  than  the 
bateau  ;  indeed,  we  did  not  carry  it,  but  dragged  it  per- 
force. 

These  labors  consumed  the  time.  It  was  after  sun- 
set before  we  were  clear  of  the  falls  ;  and  dusk  was  falling 
as  we  drew  near  the  camp. 

We  had,  I  recollect,  turned  the  "  big  crook  "  and  entered 
the  long  stretch  of  dead  water  that  led  down  past  the 
camp,  when  Farr  stopped  paddling  and  sniffed,  quite  on  a 
sudden. 

"  Don't  you  smell  smoke  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 

We  all  sniffed,  at  that. 

There  was  a  very  perceptible  odor  of  resinous  smoke. 


150  A   DISAGREEABLE  SURPRISE. 

"  Pine  burning,"  Fred  said. 

We  looked  at  each  other  in  great  uneasiness,  —  then 
began  to  paddle  in  haste. 

"  You  don't  suppose  "  —  Scott  began. 

"  Yes,  sir ! "  Fred  cried  out,  standing  up  in  the  boat  as 
we  came  down  past  the  last  thicket  on  the  bank.  "  It  is 
the  camp !  Burnt  up  !  " 

Where  the  camp  had  been,  there  was  a  bright  bed  of 
coals  and  smoking  logs ! 

The  suddenness  of  this  catastrophe,  coming  so  closely 
on  our  good  luck,  struck  us  quite  speechless. 

"  Poor  Spot !  "  Scott  exclaimed,  breaking  the  silence  of 
our  dismay. 

"  Burned  up  with  it,"  said  I. 

But  Spot  was  not  dead.  A  moment  later,  we  caught 
sight  of  him  standing  out  near  the  ox-camp  ;  and  hearing 
our  voices,  he  came  to  meet  us,  limping,  and  with  a  blood 
stain  on  the  white  hair  just  back  of  his  left  shoulder.  He 
wagged  his  tail  in  a  sad  sort  of  way  when  we  spoke  to 
him.  His  whole  appearance  and  manner  seemed  to 
say,  —  We've  had  an  awful  time  here ! '' 

Landing  hastily,  we  went  to  look  at  the  ruins.  Not 
much  to  be  seen :  only  coals  and  a  few  logs  not  wholly 
burned.  Evidently  the  fire  had  taken  place  some  hours 
before.  "  What  will  Brown  say  to  this !  "  Fred  exclaimed. 
"Camp's  gone." 

"  But  I  don't  see  how  it  caught ! "  Farr  said.  "  We  left 
scarcely  a  spark  of  fire  in  the  stove ;  and  I  shut  it  up  close 
and  tight  the  last  thing  before  I  came  out ! " 


WE   FIND   OUR    CAMP    BURNED   DOWN.  151 

"Well,  there  it  is  —  in  ashes,"  said  Fred.  "  Of  course  it 
must  have  caught  from  the  stove  somehow ;  a  coal  may 
have  snapped  out  and  got  down  between  the. planks  of  the 
floor,  while  we  had  our  fire  going  for  breakfast.  But  I 
don't  see  how  Spot  got  out.  —  Here,  Spot,  come  here.  — 
He  does  not  seem  to  be  singed." 

"  Oh,  he  dug  out  somehow,"  said  Farr.  —  "  You  weren't 
going  to  stay  in  there  and  be  burned  up,  were  you,  old  fel- 
low?" 

Spot  looked  volumes,  —  but  said  little. 

"  And  our  blankets !  "  said  I. 

"  And  all  our  plates  and  kettles  and  things ! "  Scott  ex- 
claimed. 

"  Lucky  we  took  out  our  fur,"  Farr  said ;  "  and  our  pota- 
toes and  flour.*' 

Fred  ran  down  to  the  thicket  where  he  had  hidden  the 
provisions.  "  Yes,  they  are  all  right,"  he  said,  coming  back. 

Farr  went  out  to  the  ox-camp  to  look  to  the  skins. 

"  And  there  was  that  great  grindstone,  and  anchor  and 
anchor-line,"  Scott  anxiously  enumerated.  "Why,  Brown 
will  raise  Cain  with  us  for  letting  this  camp  burn ! " 

Fred  was  looking  among  the  coals  and  logs. 

"  I  don't  see  a  sign  of  the  stone  or  the  anchor,"  he  said. 
"  Now  isn't  that  queer  ?  " 

"  Under  the  ashes  and  coals,"  Scott  suggested. 

"  But  there  lies  the  old  stove,"  said  Fred.  "  It  doesn't 
seem  to  be  broken  up  much,  either." 

Suddenly  Farr  called  to  us  from  the  ox-camp. 

"  Just  come  out  here !  "  he  said. 


152  WAS    IT  AN   ACCIDENT  ? 

We  ran  out. 

"  Fur  gone  ?  "  questioned  Fred,  anxiously. 

"  No,  the  skins  are  just  where  you  put  them,"  Farr  said, 
*  But  look  in  here !  " 

There  was  a  small  side  shed  joining  the  end  of  the  ox- 
camp,  where  they  kept  the  grain  and  other  provender  in 
great  boxes.  The  door  had  a  huge  wooden  button  on  it. 
Farr  had  opened  it,  and  stood  pointing  inside.  We  took  a 
hasty  look  within.  There  lay  the  anchor-line  and  the  anchor; 
and  there  stood  the  grindstone  ! 

"  Did  you  bring  those  things  out  here  this  morning  be- 
fore we  went  off? "  Farr  queried. 

"  Why,  no ! "  Fred  exclaimed. 

"  No,  indeed !  "  said  Scott  and  I. 

"  Well,  somebody  has,"  Farr  replied. 

We  felt  confounded  at  this. 

"  Somebody  was  here  when  the  camp  burned,  and  took 
these  things  out,"  Farr  repeated. 

"  And  set  the  camp  afire  themselves !  "  Fred  exclaimed. 

"  But  I  can't  understand  this  at  all,"  Scott  said. 

"  Well,  I  can,"  said  Fred.  "  You  see,  there's  some  one  — 
half  a  dozen,  perhaps  —  lurking  about.  They  came  along 
here  to-day  and  found  us  gone.  Like  as  not  they  are  trap- 
ping themselves,  not  far  off.  They  want  to  drive  us  off. 
So  they  set  the  camp  afire.  But  I  suppose  they  thought  it 
was  rather  too  bad  to  burn  up  that  anchor-line.  It's  worth 
forty  or  fifty  dollars.  Perhaps  they  mean  to  use  it  them- 
selves ;  so  they  carried  that  and  the  anchor  and  grindstone 
out  here." 


OUR   WHOLE   KIT   STOLEN   OR   BURNED.  153 

"But  how  about  our  blankets  and  tinware?"  I  said. 

"  Oh,  they  have  stolen  those,"  said  Fred. 

"  And  Spot?"  Farr  queried. 

"  I'll  bet  they  tried  to  kill  him,"  said  Fred. 

"  Shot  at  him  or  struck  him.  Poor  doggy !  did  they  try 
to  murder  you,  Spot?  But  you  got  away  from  them,  didn't 
you  ? " 

We  looked  at  the  bloody  stain  on  his  back  again.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  cut  through  the  skin ;  but  it  did  not  look 
like  a  shot  mark.  We  could  only  surmise  how  he  received 
it,  or  with  what  sort  of  a  weapon. 

And  explain  it  as  we  would,  the  whole  affair  was  more  or 
less  a  mystery :  there  was  something  queer  about  it.  Who- 
ever had  been  there  in  our  absence,  they  had  left  no  trace ; 
yet  we  knew  that  somebody  must  have  been  there. 

"  Well,  shall  we  bring  up  the  tent,  or  camp  here  in  the 
grain-shed  ? "  Fred  at  length  asked ;  for  it  was  growing 
dark. 

As  the  grain-shed  was  a  very  comfortable  little  shanty, 
we  decided  to  bunk  in  it,  and  use  the  tent  in  place  of  our 
wool  blankets  that  had  been  either  stolen  or  burned.  The 
only  objection  to  this  arrangement  was  that  it  was  rather 
too  near  the  ox-camp ;  but  we  were  not  over-fastidious. 

Among  the  ruins  I  found  the  long-handled  spider;  but 
the  potato  kettle  was  broken  in  halves ;  and  the  other  had 
a  big  crack  through  it.  Nevertheless,  Fred  cut  some  large 
thick  slices  of  moose  meat  to  fry;  and  our  potatoes  we 
roasted  in  the  hot  ashes  and  coals  of  the  burned  camp. 


154  WE   CAMP    IN    THE   GRAIN   SHED. 

We  also  scraped  together  a  great  heap  of  the  coals,  and 
cooked  large  "  hunks  "  of  the  moose  sirloin  in  a  still  more 
novel  manner:  we  thrust  them  through  with  a  sharpened 
stick  of  green  maple,  and  then  setting  one  end  of  the  stick 
in  the  ground,  let  the  meat  hang  over  the  coals,  a  foot  above 
them.  It  cooked  nicely  so.  It  was  fine  eating.  Despite 
our  vexation  at  the  loss  of  the  camp  and  our  blankets,  and 
the  continual  feeling  of  anxiety  as  to  who  and  what  were 
plotting  mischief  about  us,  we  yet  enjoyed  that  supper  of 
moose  meat.  We  were  hungry;  and  it  was  superlatively 
good. 

The  hide  we  carefully  took  off  the  carcass,  and  hung  it 
up  as  a  trophy  of  our  first  moose. 


CHAPTER  xvn. 

Staniling  Guard.  — A  Trip  to  the  Camp  in  the  Gorge.  —  Watching  for 
Deer.  —  Farr's  Great  Chance  Shot :  the  Way  he  Charged  his  Gun. 
—  A  Fawn.  —  Moose  Meat  and  Beef  Compared.  —  Spot  and  the 
"  Quill-pigs."  —  A  Mink.  —  A  "  Lucivee  "  Surprised  while  in 
Pursuit  of  a  Marten.  —  A  Long  Leap.  —  The  Lynx  takes  Refuge 
in  a  Thick  Hemlock.  — A  Lively  Scrimmage.  — The  Game  Es- 
capes. 

A  FTER  what  had  happened,  we  decided  to  keep 
-JLJL-  guard  in  future,  not  only  by  night,  but  by  day. 
That  night  we  watched  each  two  hours,  in  turn,  as  also 
the  next  night.  It  would  have  been  much  better  for  us 
to  have  stuck  to  this  rule,  as  it  turned  out.  But  after 
three  nights,  we  knocked  off  watching,  and  all  slept,  as 
before. 

By  day,  however,  we  did  not  leave  the  camp  unguarded. 
One  of  us  always  stayed  about,  with  a  loaded  gun ;  and 
this  considerably  interfered  with  our  work,  too ;  though 
Fred  used  to  sometimes  make  a  round  of  the  "  saple  line  " 
alone.  None  of  the  rest  of  us  went  off  so  far  alone.  It 
did  not  seem  quite  safe.  Besides,  seventeen  miles  through 
the  woods  alone  is  not  a  pleasant  ramble. 

The  next  day  after  the  burning  of  the  camp,  Farr  and 


156  STANDING   GUARD. 

Scott  went  down  the  lake,  to  the  camp  in  the  gorge,  after 
tin  plates,  knives,  forks,  etc.  We  found  it  quite  impossi- 
ble to  keep  house  without  something  of  this  sort ;  and 
save  the  frying-pan,  we  had  lost  our  whole  kit ;  for  which, 
I  may  here  add,  we  had  to  give  Godwin  a  six-dollar  mink- 
skin  in  payment. 

That  day  I  watched  the  camp  —  with  Spot.  Fred  went 
over  the  "  line  "  alone.  I  had  the  little  rifle  and  one  of 
the  double-barrelled  guns,  all  loaded  and  ready.  I  kept 
inside  the  grain-shed  the  most  of  the  time,  and  turned  it 
into  a  fortification  by  cutting  loop-holes  through  the  sides. 
If  any  of  the  supposed  marauders  came  near,  I  meant  to 
cover  them  through  a  hole  with  the  rifle,  and  bid  them 
stand  and  give  an  account  of  themselves ;  and  if  their 
account  was  not  satisfactory,  I  meant  to  bid  them  begone 
in  a  terribly  bass  voice.  In  fact,  I  even  practised  a  vocal 
series  of  "  begones !  "  and  "  clear  outs !  " 

If  they  did  make  an  attack  on  the  shed,  I  fancied  I 
could  make  it  hot  for  them. 

We  felt  terribly  warlike  for  a  few  days  after  the  fire : 
we  missed  our  blankets  considerably  nights,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  tent  we  should  have  laid  cold  indeed. 

At  night  we  talked  of  little  else  save  what  we  should 
do  if  we  were  attacked,  or  found  any  of  them  about  the 
camp. 

For  this  week,  we  took  thirty-four  musk-rats,  three  more 
martens,  and  toward  the  last  of  the  week,  a  mink  at  the 
falls ;  and  on  Sunday  following,  a  mink  got  into  one  of  our 


FARR'S  GREAT  CHANCE  SHOT.  157 

traps  below  the  dam  at  the  foot  of  the  lake.  Farr  and 
Scott  found  it  there  the  next  morning.  But  nothing  was 
taken  in  the  otter  traps,  nor  yet  in  the  trap  we  set  for 
beaver  up  near  Rump  Pond. 

We  watched  two  nights  for  deer  at  the  pond,  off  to  the 
west  of  Little  Boy's  Falls,  but  did  not  get  a  shot. 

On  the  following  Wednesday,  Farr  made  a  remarkable 
chance  shot.  He  had  got  in  the  habit  of  loading  his  shot- 
gun —  one  barrel  of  it  —  with  the  bullets  he  had  run  for 
the  old  Sharpe's  carbine:  the  one  that  burst  at  Bottle 
Brook  Pond.  The  shot-gun  had  a  large  bore,  and  he 
used  (whether  prudently  or  not,  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
say)  to  put  in  two  and  three  of  these  bullets,  with  a  hand- 
ful of  shot  to  keep  them  steady,  and  powder  enough  to 
throw  them.  This  barrel,  thus  loaded,  he  kept  for  emer- 
gencies, doing  his  ordinary  shooting  with  the  other  barrel. 

Wednesday  afternoon  we  set  off  in  the  bateau,  Farr, 
Scott  and  I,  to  shoot  patridges  down  at"  the  slope  on  the 
west  side  of  the  lake. 

We  had  doubled  Indian  Field  Point,  and  were  making 
our  way  down  the  shore,  keeping  close  in,  when  Scott 
espied  something  moving  a  long  way  ahead  of  us.  It  was 
an  animal  standing  partly  in  the  water  and  in  the  shadow 
of  the  spruces,  which  there  leaned  out  over  the  lake. 
Scott  spoke  to  us  of  it  We  stopped  rowing ;  but  he  had 
some  trouble  to  make  us  see  it,  the  distance  was  so  great. 

I  cannot  say  just  how  far  off  it  was,  but  do  not  believe 
it  to  have  been  under  fifty  or  sixty  rods.  Farr  at  length 


158  A   FAWN. 

got  his  eye  on -it,  and  stretching  out  at  full  length  in  the 
bow,  took  aim  and  fired  the  three  balls  and  shot  at  it. 

Instantly  the  creature  turned,  bounded  out  of  the  water, 
and  went  out  of  sight  into  the  woods.  Scott  and  I 
laughed  ;  so  did  Farr. 

"  We  might  have  got  a  little  nearer,"  Scott  said,  humor- 
ously. 

We  had  no  thought  that  the  creature  was  hit.  It  took 
us  some  little  time  to  get  down  where  the  animal  had 
stood.  We  passed  close  to  the  shore,  to  see  the  track. 

"It  was  a  deer,"  said  Scott,  after  a  glance  at  the  small 
hoof-track  in  the  mud. 

"  I  will  just  get  out  and  take  a  look,"  he  added,  jumping 
ashore. 

He  went  up  the  bank,  and  was  gone  not  more  than 
three  seconds  when  we  heard  him  shout,  —  "Farr,  you 
killed  it  deader  than  a  nail ! " 

We  both  jumped* out  at  that,  and  ran  up  the  bank. 

There,  among  a  clump  of  round-wood,  lay  a  small  deer, 
with  its  tongue  out  and  one  fore  leg  in  the  air,  dead. 
One  of  those  bullets  had  gone  through  its  body,  striking 
just  in  front  and  beneath  its  left  hip,  and  coming  out  near 
the  right  shoulder.  Twas  a  purely  chance  shot,  I  sup 
pose,  but  a  very  lucky  one,  certainly.  Farr  felt  not  a 
little  proud  of  it;  though  he  owned  that  it  was  mere 
luck. 

We  did  not  trouble  to  go  farther  after  partridges  that 

afternoon. 

I 


PARK'S    "CHANCE    SHOT/ 


SPOT  AND   THE   "QUILL-PIGS."  159 

This  was  not  a  caribou  deer,  but  one  of  the  ordinary 
species  (Cervus  Virginianus).  We  judged  it  to  have  been 
a  last  spring  fawn ;  its  color  was  unusually  light  for  the 
species ;  and  it  was  seemingly  not  more  than  half  grown. 
It  would  not  have  weighed  over  seventy-five  pounds,  un- 
dressed. 

Again  we  revelled  in  venison ;  but  the  meat  did  not 
have  the  body  and  flavor  of  the  moose  meat.  This  latter 
was  equal  in  quality  to  the  best  of  beef,  and  to  our  palates 
(while  up  there)  far  superior  in  flavor. 

I  think  it  was  the  next  morning  after  shooting  the  fawn, 
that  Spot  came  in  while  we  were  eating  breakfast,  with 
his  nose  full  of  hedgehog  quills.  In  his  morning  stroll 
through  the  woods,  he  had  stumbled  on  a  "  quill-pig,"  as 
Fred  terms  them.  To  get  out  these  quills,  Farr  made  a 
pair  of  wooden  pincers,  by  splitting  a  blunt  stick  of  dry 
ash  at  one  end.  With  this  he  pulled  out  the  most  of 
them ;  but  we  had  to  hold  the  dog  down  by  main  strength 
to  do  it.  Next  day  his  nose  was  badly  swollen,  and  so 
sore  he  would  not  eat. 

It  would  appear  that  there  are  hedgehogs  in  this  northern 
forest,  though  we  did  not  see  one. 

Not  more  than  two  mornings  after,  we  had  a  very  lively 
adventure  with  a  wild-cat,  or  lynx. 

It  was  Scott's  turn  to  guard  the  camp  that  day.  Fred, 
Farr  and  myself  had  gone  down  to  the  dam  to  look  to  the 
traps  there  and  on  the  rapids  below.  We  were  coming 
back  up  the  outlet  toward  the  lake,  when  quite  suddenly, 


i6o  A  "LUCIVEE"  SURPRISED 

a  great  snapping  of  twigs  and  racing  through  dry  brash  began 
up  among  the  dead  growth  on  the  east  side,  where  the  fire 
had  run  some  years  before. 

"  Hark  ! "  Farr  said.     "  What's  that  ?  " 

It  was  about  the  liveliest  snapping  and  scampering  I  ever 
heard.  It  went  tearing  along  the  ridge-side.  Presently  there 
was  a  sound  of  nails  hi  the  bark  of  a  tree ;  and  we  saw,  first, 
a  marten  run  up  a  dead  hemlock,  in  sight  from  the  stream, 
over  the  other  trees.  After  him  came  a  largish  gray  animal 
with  a  big  head. 

"  Lucivee  !  sure's  ye  live  ! "  Fred  muttered,  under  breath. 

The  marten  ran  up  to  the  very  top  of  the  hemlock ;  but 
the  wild-cat  durst  not  trust  himself  on  the  fragile  topmost 
limbs.  He  came  to  a  stop  while  yet  eight  or  ten  feet  below 
the  marten,  and  clung,  glaring  at  it 

Farr  cocked  his  gun. 

"  No,  no,"  Fred  whispered.  "  Too  far  !  Pull  in  ashore. 
We  can  work  up  through  the  woods.  Sh  !  still ! " 

Landing,  we  ran  up  toward  the  hemlock.  The  place  was 
full  of  dry  brush.  It  snapped,  despite  our  care.  Yet  so  in- 
tent was  the  lynx  on  its  prey  that  it  did  not  stir  nor  turn  its 
eyes  from  the  marten,  though  we  came  within  a  hundred 
yards. 

"  I  can  drop  him  from  here,"  Farr  said. 

"Well,"  said  Fred,  "I'll  take  the  'saple.'" 

They  both  fired. 

The  marten  leaped  instantly  into  another  tree,  a  dead 
poplar.  'Twas  a  long  jump ;  not  less  than  thirty  feet  off  and 


A   LIVELY  SCRIMMAGE.  l6l 

downward.  The  dry  branches  amongst  which  it  caught  broke. 
Down  it  came,  snapping  and  crackling,  to  the  ground,  but 
momentarily  ran  away  like  an  arrow. 

But  our  attention  was  mainly  directed  to  the  big  cat.  As 
Farr  fired,  he  turned  a  pair  of  great  staring  eyes  on  us,  then 
whirled  about  and  ran  down  the  hemlock.  We  sprang  for- 
ward, shouting  loudly ;  but  it  reached  the  ground  and  ran. 
Before  it  had  taken  three  jumps,  however,  I  let  go  at  it  with 
the  single-barrelled  gun.  I  don't  think  I  hit  it.  But  the 
report  and  the  shouting  so  frightened  the  creature  that  it  took 
to  the  trunk  of  a  large  green  hemlock  standing  near,  and 
went  up  amid  the  green  boughs  in  a  trice. 

"We've  got  him  now,"  Fred  exclaimed.  "Surround  the 
hemlock.  We'll  pepper  him.  We'll  have  some  fun  now  1 " 

Reloading  the  guns,  we  walked  round  the  hemlock,  at  a 
distance  from  the  roots,  peering  into  the  green  top,  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  animal.  But  so  dense  were  the  boughs,  and 
so  snugly  had  the  beast  ensconced  himself,  that  we  none  of  us 
could  get  eyes  on  him.  The  tops  of  these  great  hemlocks  are 
often  surprisingly  thick.  Whether  the  lynx  was  up  near  the 
top,  or  midway  the  tree,  we  could  not  tell. 

"Let  fly  up  the  trunk,"  Fred  at  length  said  to  me.  "Farr 
and  I  will  stand  ready  to  nail  him,  if  he  jumps  out." 

I  went  up  to  the  foot  of  the  hemlock,  and  fired  up  into  the 
top  a  charge  of  heavy  duck  shot.  Possibly  some  of  these 
hit  the  animal.  Instantly  it  jumped  out  of  the  top  and  made 
a  flying  leap,  with  its  legs  spread  out,  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
feet,  to  the  ground.  Fred  and  Farr  both  fired.  The  beast 


1 62  THE   GAME   ESCAPES. 

struck  the  ground  with  an  audible  tnump!  but  at  once  re- 
gained its  legs  and  went  off  at  full  jump.  Farr  aimed  and 
fired  his  second  barrel,  the  only  effect  of  which  was  to  make 
the  brute  take  a  prodigiously  high  leap,  and  run  the  faster. 

Without  stopping  to  load,  we  ran  after  it,  shouting  and  yell- 
ing at  the  top  of  our  lungs,  in  the  hope  of  driving  it  up 
another  tree.  But  we  soon  lost  sight  of  it ;  and  though  we 
chased  on  for  forty  or  fifty  rods,  we  saw  nothing  more  of  it. 
'Twas  quite  a  lively  sort  of  scrimmage ;  though  nothing  came 
of  it. 

We  got  a  mink  down  at  the  dam  that  morning.  It  had 
•gnawed  its  leg  almost  off.  In  ten  minutes  more  it  would 
have  been  free  —  to  run  on  three  legs.  Determined  little 
chaps,  these  minks ! 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

We  Take  Up  our  Beaver  Traps.  —  A  "  Bear-path."  —  Bears'  Dens.— 
We  Set  our  Big  Trap  with  Great  Care.  — Clogs.  — We  Find  the 
Trap  with  its  Clogs  Gone.  —  A  Long  Chase.  —The  Beast  Turns 
on  us.  —  A  Savage  Apparition.  —  "  Come  on !  I'll  Slit  your  Hides 
for  ye  !  "  —  A  Hard  Skull.  —  A  Better  Shot.  —  Night  at  Hand.  — 
Facts  about  the  Canada  Lynx :  its  Teeth,  Claws,  etc. 

A  DAY  or  two  after,  we  took  up  our  large  trap,  up  at 
the  "  beaver  bank,"  and  set  it  in  a  "  bear  path  "  which 
Fred  had  crossed  about  a  half  mile  to  the  west  of  the  pond 
near  Little  Boy's  Falls.  Fred  was  a  great  case  for  hunt- 
ing up  signs  of  game.  Often  he  would  go  off  for  an  hour 
or  two  and  search  steadily  for  paths,  tracks,  croppings 
and  dens.  I  think  he  discovered  five  or  six  dens  of  bears. 
The  trouble  with  these  dens  is,  to  tell  whether  there  is 
a  bear  in  them  or  not;  and  if  there  is,  to  get  him  out 
without  too  great  personal  peril. 

This  trap  was  hardly  large  enough  to  have  held  a  large 
bear ;  yet  it  might  hold  a  small  one  we  reasoned.  So  we  set 
it  with  great  care  and  preparation  in  a  bed  of  dry  leaves, 
at  a  place  where  the  path  wound  between  several  large 
rocks.  We  took  along  an  abundance  of  bait:  musk-rat 
carcasses,  moose  bones,  and  refuse  pieces  of  meat.  These 


164  WE  SET  OUR  TRAP   WITH   GREAT  CARE. 

we  scattered  about  and  placed  upon  the  rocks.  Entrails 
of  the  musk-rats  we  strung  about.  Directly  over  the  trap 
we  bent  down  a  sapling  and  hung  on  it  a  big  piece  of  moose 
meat.  Altogether  we  provided  a  feast  of  it. 

"  Should  think  that  might  draw  a  crowd,"  said  Farr, 
pausing  for  a  final  inspection  of  the  arrangements. 

We  did  not  chain  the  trap,  but  attached  to  it  a  couple 
of  heavy  clogs  off  a  spruce  trunk. 

Fred  ran  over  to  see  if  there  was  any  thing  caught  in  it 
the  next  morning.  There  were,  he  told  us,  no  signs  of 
there  having  been  any  animal  about  it.  So  we  let  two 
days  pass  before  looking  to  it  again.  Indeed,  it  was  the 
afternoon  of  the  second  day  after  that,  when  Fred  and  I 
went  over  to  it.  Farr  had  gone  up  to  the  falls,  and  Scott 
was  on  guard  with  Spot. 

This  time  we  found  nearly  all  of  the  bait  eaten  up  and 
the  trap  gone,  clogs  and  all. 

Through  the  moss  and  on  the  dead  foliage  there  was  a 
very  distinct  trail  where  the  clogs  had  torn  along. 

"What  is  it,  suppose?"  I  queried. 

"  Bear,  or  a  lucivee,"  said  Fred,  looking  to  the  caps  of 
his  gun. 

I  had  the  little  rifle. 

We  followed  the  marks  in  the  moss  and  leaves,  keeping 
a  cautious  eye  ahead.  We  did  not  care  to  run  upon  the 
beast  unawares. 

It  did  not  seem  as  if  the  creature  could  have  dragged 
those  clogs  very  far.  But  we  followed  a  mile,  perhaps 


A    LONG   CHASE.  165 

more,  without  seeing  any  thing  of  it,  and  began  to  think  it 
might  prove  a  long  chase.  Night  was  coming,  too.  The 
sun  had  not  been  more  than  an  hour  high  when  we  set  off. 
Not  a  great  way  farther  on,  however,  the  trail  entered  a 
swamp  full  of  hackmatack  and  alder.  This  swamp  bor- 
dered on  a  large,  unknown  pond.  We  presently  came  out 
in  sight  of  it.  Fred  was  ahead.  Suddenly,  he  stopped 


"LOOK  OUT!      HE  MAY  MAKE  A  DIVE  AT  US ! " 

and    backed   hastily    against    me.       At    the    same    mo- 
ment I  heard  a  growl. 

"Behind  that  old  log!"  Fred  exclaimed,  still  backing 
off.     "  Look  out !  he  may  make  a  dive  at  us !  " 


1 66  A  SAVAGE  APPARITION. 

We  cocked  our  guns  and  stood  on  the  defensive.  The 
creature's  ears  were  just  in  sight  over  the  log:  it  was 
crouching  there !  Fred  picked  up  a  stray  knot  and  pitched 
it  over  the  log.  In  a  moment  the  old  fellow  rose  up,  and 
the  way  he  screeched  at  us  was  lively  to  listen  to ! 

'Twas  a  lynx.  He  drew  up  his  gray  back,  cat  fashion ; 
the  hair  stood  up.  His  prick  ears  lay  back  felinely;  and 
his  big  eyes  shone  like  silver  knobs.  Oh,  he  looked  ugly ! 
No  doubt  he  felt  ugly.  Evidently  a  fight  was  what  he  most 
longed  for,  —  a  regular  set-to  with  teeth  and  nails.  He 
seemed  to  say,  "  Come  on  if  you  dare !  I'll  slit  your  cow- 
ardly hides  for  ye ! " 

But  we  had  not  a  moment's  time  to  lose.  Darkness  was 
coming. 

"Let  him  have  it!"  said  Fred.  "Right  between  the 
eyes ! " 

I  took  aim  with  the  rifle  and  fired. 

A  yelp  followed  the  report.  The  creature  turned  andean, 
dragging  the  trap.  The  slug  had  struck  the  skull  a  little 
too  high,  as  we  saw  afterwards,  and  glanced  along  the  bone 
betwixt  its  ears. 

Fred  ran  on  after  it  with  his  gun  half  raised  to  get  a  shot. 
The  clogs  impeded  the  animal  so  much  that  after  a  few  rods 
it  sprang  to  the  butt  of  a  great  hackmatack,  and  assayed  to 
climb  up.  But  the  clogs  were  too  heavy.  It  got  up  five  or 
six  feet  and  stopped ;  it  could  not  raise  the  clogs  from  the 
ground. 

Fred  ran  forward,  and  taking  a  rapid  aim  at  the  back  of  its 


FACTS  ABOUT  THE  CANADA   LYNX.  167 

head,  fired  a  barrel  of  his  heavy  shot.  Down  it  dropped, 
the  trap  rattling  and  clogs  flying  about.  In  a  few  seconds  it 
was  dead. 

Fred  took  it  out  of  the  trap  as  soon  as  it  stopped  kicking. 
It  was  caught  by  one  of  its  hind  legs. 

The  lynx  is  a  very  furry  animal,  and  looks  much  larger 
than  its  weight  would  bespeak  it.  This  one  we  thought 
would  not  weigh  over  thirty-five  or  forty  pounds,  although  it 
looked  as  large  as  a  rather  large  dog.  Its  head  was  very 
large. 

We  did  not  dare  to  stop  to  skin  it  there,  lest  it  should 
.ome  on  so  dark  that  we  might  not  be  able  to  find  our  way 
hack,  to  camp.  So  Fred  shouldered  it  and  started. 

I  tmrw  off  the  clogs  from  the  trap  and  followed  him.  It 
vras  dark  enough,  too,  before  we  got  back  to  camp.  Farr 
and  Scott  >iaa  begun  to  feel  pretty  uneasy  about  us. 

This  was  a  male  lynx.  The  fur  was  in  tolerably  good  con- 
dition :  a  stone  gray  on  the  back  and  sides,  but  almost  white 
beneath.  Its  legs  were  very  powerful  and  muscular ;  its  feet 
were  padded  with  thick  fur.  We  cut  and  pulled  out  several 
of  the  claws  to  save,  for  mementos.  Those  from  the  middle 
toes  of  the  fore  paws  were  an  inch  and  a  half  long.  The  teeth 
were  much  sharper  and  rather  longer  than  those  of  an  ordinary 
dog.  (We  compared  them  with  Spot's.)  The  tail  was  very 
short  and  tipped  with  black  hairs. 

If  I  remember  aright,  we  received  three  dollars  and  a  half 
for  the  skin,  sold  with  the  rest  of  our  fur. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  Night  long  to  be  Remembered.  —  We  are  Surprised  and  Captured 
by  a  Gang  of  Outlaw  Woodsmen  whom  we  Suppose  to  be 
French  Canadians. —  Their  Horrible  Oaths  and  Threats.  —  They 
Rob  us  of  Every  Thing  and  Drive  us  Down  the  Lake.  —  Our  Sad 
and  Perilous  Condition.  —  We  Stop  at  the  Gorge  Camp.  — More 
"Sprung  Pork."  —  We  set  out  for  Home. 

IT  was  the  night  after  this  capture,  —  the  night  of  the 
29111  of  October.  Ah,  I  shall  never  forget  that  night  ! 
There  had  been  a  snow-squall  the  previous  afternoon.  We 
had  got  in  early  from  looking  to  the  traps.  The  stove  we 
moved  into  one  end  of  the  grain-shed  ;  for  the  weather  was 
getting  rather  chilly  nights,  as  well  as  windy  days.  A  glorious 
supper  of  partridges  and  deer  venison  cheered  us.  We  kept 
the  stove  hot  and  lay  on  a  great  springy  bunk  of  boughs, 
with  our  rubber  blankets  and  the  tent  for  coverlets. 

Our  sleep  was  sound  after  those  days  of  constant  toil  and 
tramp  through  the  forest. 

Over  our  heads,  as  we  lay,  hung  five  mink  skins  and  three 
marten  pelts.  But  all  our  musk-rat  and  the  lynx  skin  and 
moose  hide  were  out  in  the  ox-camp,  hidden  there  behind 
the  boxes  and  boards. 


A    NIGHT    LONG    TO    BE    REMEMBERED. 


169 


The  night  passed.  It  was  faintly  daylight,  and  very  nearly 
our  usual  time  of  getting  up,  when  I  was  waked  by  Spot 
barking  savagely  —  for  him. 

I  jumped  up,  bewildered  and  greatly  alarmed,  with  the 
sense  of  something  being  around  the  camp.  The  other 
boys  were  rousing,  too.  But  before  any  of  us  could  get  f  air- 


"  AF    YAR   STAR !  " 

ly  up,  or  reach  the  guns,  the  door  was  kicked  open,  with  loud, 
fierce  shouts,  which  were  more  like  the  savage  growls  of 
wild  beasts  than  men,  and  the  muzzles  of  two  guns  were 
pointed  in  at  us  as  we  sat  up  in  the  bunk  !  At  the  same  in- 
stant, we  saw  red,  bearded,  vicious  faces  peeping  rather  cau- 


170          A  GANG  OF  OUTLAW  WOODSMEN. 

tiously  in  !  And  I  still  think  had  we  seized  our  guns  prompt- 
ly, the  cowardly  wretches  would  have  fled  even  then.  They 
might  have  discharged  their  guns,  which  might,  of  course, 
have  hit  some  of  us.  But  they  were  cowards,  as  such 
scamps  often  are. 

We  were  just  simply  stunned :  we  were  hardly  awake ; 
and  then  their  brute-like  shouts  appalled  us. 

"  He-air,  yar  young !  Af  yar  star,  we'll  blaw  yar 

ter ! "  one  of  them  yelled  at  us,  with  a  gutteral 

rattle  and  rasp  in  his  throat,  keeping  the  gun  pointed  full 
in  our  faces,  and  creeping  through  the  door-way  like  a  tiger, 
the  others  after  him. 

Such  sounds  I  never  heard  from  men.  They  drew  back 
their  lips  like  mad  dogs,  and  snarled,  gritting  their  teeth,  the 
front  one  especially.  "  SacreU  Sa-a-a-cre  II  Sacre !  Sa- 
a-a-cref!"  he  growled  out,  more  than  a  score  of  times.  He 
had  a  gray  fur  cap  on  his  head.  His  hair  hung  down  long ; 
his  face  was  red  and  dirty.  His  coat  or  frock  was  of  skins. 
Even  in  the  terror  of  the  moment,  I  smelled  a  vile  stench  of 
rum.  Altogether,  he  was  the  most  terrible  object  I  ever  saw 
in  human  form  —  or  out  of  it.  They  swore  awfully,  —  a  con- 
tinued stream  of  the  most  frightful  and  disgusting  profanity, 
and  all  with  the  unmistakable  accent  of  French  Canadians. 
But  they  knew  a  good  deal  of  English.  Indeed,  one  or  two 
of  the  gang  were  English,  or  Americans,  at  least. 

"Af yar  star!  Af  yar  star  ff"  the  leader  kept  snarling  at  us. 

Of  course  we  were  frightened.  Who  wouldn't  have  been  ? 
We  expected  to  be  murdered.  They  looked  capable  of  it. 


THEIR   HORRIBLE   OATHS   AND  THREATS.  17 1 

And  they  had  us  in  their  power.  If  we  had  so  much  as 
moved  to  take  up  a  gun,  they  would  have  shot  us.  There 
were  five  of  them.  Instinctively  the  rest  of  us  glanced  at 
Fred. 

"  No  use,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.     "  They've  got  us  ! " 
Then  he  spoke  up  to  them  :  "  What  do  you  want?  " 
At  that  they  all  gritted  their  teeth  and  snarled  like  wolves 
again,  aspirating  "Sacre/"  away  down  in  their  throats.    This 
they  did  to  scare  us,  I  suppose  :  to  get  us  thoroughly  afraid 
of  them. 

At  that,  Scott  began  to  beg.     I  do  not  mean  that  he  got 
down  on  his  knees;  but  he  said,  "Come,  now,  don't  kill 
us ;  don't  shoot  us.     We'll  do  whatever  you  say." 
But  the  rest  of  us  said  nothing. 

"  Don't  talk,"  said  Fred.  "  Don't  say  a  word  to  'em  !  " 
He  was  right.  That  was  the  best  way  to  do,  —  say  noth- 
ing. They  had  no  pity  nor  mercy  about  them.  Begging 
and  pleading  would  have  been  just  thrown  away.  They  did 
not,  as  it  appeared,  quite  dare  to  kill  all  four  of  us ;  but  it 
wasn't  mercy.  They  were  afraid  to  do  it ;  and  they  would 
have  killed  us  all  the  quicker  for  our  begging.  That  is  the 
way  with  such  wretches.  It  always  makes  them  worse  to 
plead  with  them.  The  best  way  is  to  say  not  a  word.  Let 
them  do  what  they  dare ;  for  they  will  do  that,  anyway. 

"  Naw  yer  coom  out  aw  thart.  Sacre!  Sacre  /"  they  be- 
gan to  say,  after  they  had  gritted  and  snarled  at  us  what  they 
thought  proper. 

"  Coom  out  aw  thart,  yer 1  an  leave  yar  guerns, 

yer !" 


1 72  THEY    ROB   US   OF    EVERY  THING. 

Fred  got  right  up,  as  soon  as  they  said  this,  and  walked 
straight  out  between  them,  looking  them  full  in  the  face. 
Farr  followed,  and  I  came  next.  But  Scott  hesitated  and 
rather  cringingly  shied  out  past  them.  Seeing  his  fear, 
they  gritted  their  teeth  at  him ;  and  two  of  them  kicked  him 
brutally.  If  he  had  held  his  head  up  and  looked  them  in  the 
eye  like  a  man,  they  would  not  have  touched  him.  Ruffians 
of  this  sort  are  like  curs.  The  only  safety  from  them  lies  in 
not  fearing  them. 

They  had  a  large  gaunt  bull-dog,  brindled,  with  a  bobtail. 
Spot  had  run  out,  and  stood  cowering  at  a  little  distance. 

"  S-t  tak  'im  ! "  one  of  them  called  out. 

"S-t  tak  'im,  Rog!" 

Spot  cut  away  for  dear  life,  with  Rog,  or  Rogue,  whichever 
it  was,  after  him.  That  was  the  last  we  saw  of  either  of  them. 

As  soon  as  we  were  out  in  front  of  the  shed,  Fred  turned, 
facing  them. .  They  pointed  their  guns  at  us,  three  of  them, 
—  old  army  muskets.  I  did  not  know  but  that  they  would 
shoot  us  down  there  in  our  tracks. 

"Gav  us  yermowny  ! "  they  ordered. 

"  Let  them  have  it,"  Fred  said. 

We  handed  out  what  scrip  we  had,  —  a  little  rising  two 
dollars. 

Evidently  they  were  disappointed  in  the  amount. '  Thoy 
swore  again  and  "Sacred"  ferociously. 

"Tak  arf  yer  coarts,"  the  leader  ordered  us. 

We  took  them  off  and  gave  them  up. 

"  Tak  arf  yer  warst-cuts,"  was  the  next  requisition. 


THEY   DRIVE   US   DOWN    THE   LAKE.  173 

We  unbuttoned  our  vests,  Fred  setting  the  example,  and 
gave  them  up  also. 

Then  one  of  them,  a  red-eyed,  wicked-looking  villain 
stepped  up,  and  thrusting  his  dirty  paw  into  our  trowsers' 
pockets,  took  out  our  pocket-knives  and  whatever  other 
things  we  had,  combs,  pencils,  buttons,  etc.  And  they  even 
made  Scott  take  off  his  woollen  shirt,  leaving  him  in  nothing 
but  his  under-shirt  and  pants.  I  expected  they  would  strip 
the  rest  of  us  in  a  similar  way ;  but  they  did  not.  Scott's 
shirt  was  a  rather  better  one  than  the  rest  of  us  had  on.  Per- 
haps they  thought  our  shirts  were  not  worth  stealing. 

While  they  were  plundering  us,  I  observed  them  attentive- 
ly, rather  from  a  sort  of  fascination  than  otherwise.  They 
seemed  like  men  in  process  of  turning  to  beasts.  There 
was  a  restive  truculence  in  their  glances,  and  an  air  of  sullen 
ferocity  in  all  their  movements,  such  as  one  sees  in  wild 
animals  of  the  fiercer  species.  We  had  no  doubt  that  they 
were  the  outlaws,  living  in  the  wildnerness,  of  whom  we  had 
heard. 

"Whuere  are  yer  trarps? "  one  of  them  demanded. 

"  There  are  some  up  at  the  falls,"  said  Fred.  "  There 
are  some  in  Indian  Cove ;  and  some  others  down  at  the 
dam." 

"  An  yar  tell  us  troo  ? "  cried  another. 

"Yes  ;  I  have  told  you  true,"  Fred  said. 

One  of  them,  in  particular,  struck  me  as  having  the 
strangest  countenance  I  ever  saw.  He  was  forty  years 
old,  perhaps,  though  it  was  hard  guessing  his  age.  His 


174  OUR  SAD  AND   PERILOUS  CONDITION. 

beard  was  matted,  and  partially  clotted  with  grease ;  and 
his  face  so  flabby  that  his  mouth  looked  like  a  mere  crease 
betwixt  his  lips. 

The  one  that  seemed  to  be  captain,  or  leader  of  the 
party,  had  very  keen  black  eyes,  —  eyes  that  may  have 
been  clear  and  intelligent  in  boyhood,  but  which  were  now 
hopelessly  hardened  and  sinister.  His  face  was  deeply 
pitted,  and  had  other  marks  of  a  wild  and  lawless  life.  On 
every  one  of  their  visages  there  was  set  the  seal  of  physical 
and  moral  depravity. 

They  had  espied  the  mink  and  marten  skins  hanging 
over  our  bunk.  That  seemed  to  please  them  somewhat. 
No  doubt  they  have  means  of  disposing  of  fur. 

This  all  occupied  but  a  very  few  minutes.  As  soon  as 
they  had  robbed  us,  —  to  our  shirts  and  pants,  —  the 
leader  pointed  to  the  bateau. 

"  Be  gittin'  inter  thart ! "  he  sang  out  to  us. 

We  started  obediently.  While  we  were  going  to  it,  one 
of  them  fired  off  a  gun  behind  us.  I  heard  the  shot 
whistle  past  our  heads  ;  still  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  was 
done  merely  to  scare  us. 

We  got  into  the  boat.  I  thought  they  were  going  to 
let  us  go  off  in  it ;  but  they  came  behind  us  with  their 
guns  and  got  into  it  with  us. 

"I  guess  they  are  going  to  take  us  down  the  lake," 
Farr  whispered,  as  we  huddled  together  in  the  bow. 

He  was  wrong.  They  merely  paddled  across  to  the 
opposite  bank.  We  did  not  know  what  they  intended  to 
do,  and  so  sat  still  after  the  boat  touched. 


WE  STOP  AT  THE  GORGE  CAMP.  175 

"  Out !  yar !  "  they  shouted. 

We  got  out. 

They  got  out  after  us  and  covered  us  with  their  guns. 

We  trembled  then. 

"  Now,  thin  ! "  yelled  the  one  that  led,  gritting  his  teeth 
till  he  fairly  foamed  at  his  mouth.  "  Be  arf  wit  ye  ! 
yar !  Stiver !  Nevair  coom  bark !  Mog !  " 

There  being  no  help  for  it,  we  mogged —  as  fast  as  we 
could,  taking  a  course  that  would  take  us  out  to  our 
"  saple  line."  They  followed  on  after  us  for  half  a  mile 
or  upwards,  to  see  that  we  really  went  off  ;  and  they  fired 
at  us  once  at  a  distance,  to  let  us  know  what  we  might 
expect  if  we  came  back ;  I,  for  one,  had  no  idea  of  going 
back. 

We  followed  down  the  "  saple  line."  As  soon  as  we 
found  that  the  robbers  had  gone  back  and  left  us,  we  ran 
for  a  mile,  at  least.  Not  much  was  said ;  they  had  not 
left  us  much  to  talk  about.  We  were  robbed  of  every 
thing  and  driven  out.  For  my  own  part,  I  felt  for  several 
hours  completely  cowed,  —  whipped.  There  we  were,  forty 
miles  from  settlement,  without  arms  ;  we  had  not  even  a 
jack-knife. 

It  was  not  till  we  had  crossed  Moose  Brook,  that  even 
a  word  was  exchanged.  There  Fair  said,  "  Where  are  you 
going,  Fred?" 

"  Down  to  the  gorge  camp,"  was  the  answer. 

"  What  good  will  that  do? "  Scott  demanded,  querulously. 

"What  good  !  "  exclaimed  Fred.     "Why,  I  rather  guess 


176  MORE  "SPRUNG"  PORK. 

we  shall  want  to  be  getting  outside  of  some  of  that '  sprung 
pork '  by  the  time  we  get  down  there.  I,  for  one,  haven't 
been  to  breakfast  yet." 

We  had  none  of  us  thought  of  breakfast. 

On  the  ridge,  near  the  lower  end  of  the  lake,  we  found  a 
marten  in  one  of  the  "  dead  falls."  What  a  mockery  it 
seemed  to  our  trapping  scheme  !  Fred  took  it  out,  however, 
and  carried  it  along. 

We  crossed  the  dam,  and  got  to  the  camp  at  a  little  before 
eight  o'clock. 

How  different  our  feelings  now  from  what  they  had  been 
when  we  came  here  three  weeks  before.  However,  we  set  at 
work  to  get  breakfast  from  supplies  there.  We  fried  some 
meat,  boiled  some  beans,  and  cooked  water  biscuits.  The 
beans  we  ate  with  salt.  The  biscuits  we  dipped  in  the  pork 
fat.  By  heating  it  very  hot,  we  fancied  we  had  taken  the 
"  sprung  "  out  of  it.  It  was  the  best  we  had ;  and  persons 
must  eat,  whatever  comes. 

But  we  did  not  dare  to  stay  long  at  the  camp.  Our  cap- 
tors might  find  us  there.  We  were  utterly  defenceless.  We 
took  a  frying-pan,  a  tin  dipper,  two  case-knives,  two  tin 
plates,  and  the  large  "pot "  that  went  with  the  stove.  This 
latter  utensil  we  packed  full  of  pork.  There  was  also  a  two- 
gallon  coffee-pot,  an  old  affair.  This  we  filled  with  flour; 
and  as  there  was  nothing  else  in  our  pants'  pockets,  we  filled 
those  with  beans  and  tea.  We  argued  that  our  case  was  one 
of  absolute  necessity,  —  and  so  it  was. 

There  was  an  old  axe  at  this  camp.     Fred  took  that ;  also 


WE  SET   OUT   FOR   HOME.  177 

an  old  butcher-knife,  which  he  stuck  in  his  waist-band.  Fan- 
took  a  bunch  of  matches  from  the  quarter  gross  put  away 
in  the  cuddy. 

Thus  equipped,  we  started  down  the  "  carry,"  toward  the 
forks  and  toward  home. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A  Gloomy  Prospect — Ugly  Reflections.  —  We  Grow  Desperate. — 
Fred's  Reckless  Vow.  —  "  Sunday  Pond."  —  Our  Den  among  the 
Rocks.  — A  Birch-bark  Jacket. —Cold  Nights.  —  A  Snow-squall. 
—  Farr's  Proposal.  —  Fred's  Hardy  Plan.  — We  Begin  to  Dig 
Spruce  Gum.  — The  Spruce  Woods.  — Fresh  Hopes. —  Four 
Pounds  of  Gum. 

IF  ever  the  world  looked  dark  to  four  youngsters,  it  did 
to  us.  At  first  we  had  been  only  too  glad  to  get  away 
from  the  "  Cunnucks  "  (as  Fred  called  them)  to  think  much 
about  the  future.  But  now  that  we  were  fairly  out  of  their 
clutches,  and  started  for  the  settlements,  the  full  bitterness 
of  our  situation  began  to  break  upon  us.  We  had  staked  a 
great  deal  —  for  us  —  on  this  expedition;  and  to  be  de- 
feated in  this  humiliating  way  was  unbearable. 

We  reproached  ourselves  for  not  keeping  guard  continually. 
Then  we  should  not  have  been  surprised,  and,  in  a  word, 
ruined. 

We  thought  now  of  the  figure  we  should  cut  returning 
home  in  our  shirts  and  pants,  without  our  guns ;  and  of  the 
chap-fallen  story  we  should  have  to  tell.  And  how  the  folks 
who  predicted  our  failure  at  the  outset  would  inwardly  chuc- 


A  GLOOMY  PROSPECT.  179 

kle  while  they  pretended  to  pity  us.     Pity  us  they  might  j 
but  there  would  be  their  inevitable,  "  I  told  you  so." 

The  story  would  get  out,  and  then  how  inquisitive  people 
would  be,  and  how.  they  would  laugh  over  it,  and  say  we  had 
better  stayed  at  home. 

And  then  where  were  our  funds  to  go  to  the  Academy  the 
next  spring  to  come  from?  We  talked,  or  rather  croaked, 
these  dismal  views  to  each  other  as  we  plodded  down  the 
carry,  till  our  hearts  grew  hard  and  wicked  in  our  jacketless 
bosoms;  till  we  grew  quite  desperate  and  reckless;  and 
till  at  last  Fred  threw  down  the  old  pot  of  pork  and  vowed 
he  would  not  go  home  another  step ! 

"  What's  the  use  to  go  home  !  "  he  exclaimed,  hotly. 
"  I  vow  on  my  head,  I  had  as  lief  be  shot  as  go  home  in 
this  way ! " 

Rash  words.  But  I  have  no  doubt  he  felt  them, — for 
the  moment,  at  least.  Farr  and  I  felt  much  in  the  same 
way,  although  we  neither  of  us  had  the  grit  to  say  it  out- 
right. 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  ? "  Scott  asked,  dubiously. 

" /  don't  know"  said  Fred,  candidly.  " But  I  won'f  go 
home  so  I  May  I  die  on  tJie  road,  if  I  do!  " 

He  was  in  dead  earnest. 

We  sat  down  on  a  windfall  and  looked  at  each  other.  A 
crisis  had  come  in  our  affairs.  This  outrage  had  goaded 
us  to  desperation.  I  suppose  that  many  of  the  reckless 
exploits  and  desperate  deeds  which  astonish  the  world  are 
done  under  similar  stress  of  ill-luck  and  passion.  When 


180  "SUNDAY  POND.' 


a  fellow  is  driven  clean  to  the  wall,  then  look  out 
—  if  he  has  spirit ;  for  if  he  has,  he  will  never  go  down 
without  one  grand  effort  to  retrieve  himself.  Desperate 
men  hit  hard. 

Off  to  the  right  of  the  carry  path  (going  down)  there  is 
a  little  pond,  named  by  some  wandering  hunter  "  Sunday 
Pond."  We  had  espied  it  the  day  we  carried  our  bateau 
up  to  the  lake.  It  is  a  pretty  little  expanse  almost  circular 
in  shape  and  perhaps  half  a  mile  in  diameter,  set  in  a 
natural  basin,  and  surrounded  by  the  thick  spruce  forest 

"Let's  go  out  to  the  pond  and  look  about,  and  get 
breath,"  Fred  at  last  said. 

So  departing  from  our  line  of  retreat,  we  went  down 
through  the  woods  to  the  pond  shore.  Here  we  sat  down 
on  an  old  drift-log  near  the  water's  edge,  and  looked  at  each 
other  again,  a  pretty  long  spell. 

"What's  the  use  to  stay  in  this  savage  region,"  was 
about  all  Scott  had  to  say. 

And,  "I  won't  go  home,"  was  all  we  could  get  out  of 
Fred.  But  this  much  was  decisive. 

Farr  and  I  said  nothing :  we  could  think  of  nothing  to 
say,  to  the  point ;  and  at  such  times  persons  are  not  apt  to 
talk  to  no  purpose.  We  sat  there  and  brooded  for  two 
hours,  certainly. 

"  Well,  if  we're  going  to  stay  here,  let's  make  us  a  camp 
somewhere,"  Farr  at  length  broke  out. 

The  rest  of  us  agreed  to  that. 

Fred  then  led  off,  following  the  shore  of  the  pond  round 


SCOTT'S    BIRCH    BARK    JACKET 


COLD    NIGHTS.  l8l 

to  the  south-west  side,  where  there  was  a  little  brook  lead- 
ing out  of  it  down  to  the  Little  Magalloway,  of  which  the 
pond  is  tributary.  Crossing  this,  we  came  to  a  rick  of 
great  rocks  on  the  hill-side  above  it. 

"  Might  make  us  a  den  amongst  these,"  Farr  suggested. 

Without  waste  of  words,  Fred  set  down  the  pot  of  pork 
and  began  to  cut  poles.  These  we  laid  across  the  tops  of 
three  of  the  large  rocks  that  lay  about  and  near  to  each 
other,  and  then  thatched  them  over  with  boughs  of  spruce 
and  fir.  The  little  space  inclosed  by  the  rocks  was  par- 
tially filled  with  dry  leaves,  twigs,  and  the  fallen  foliage  of 
the  spruces.  This,  with  sprigs  of  fir,  offered  a  decent  bed. 
Scott  shivered  with  cold  —  in  his  under-shirt.  Fred 
peeled  off  —  as  well  as  could  be  done  at  this  season  of  the 
year —  a  broad  slab  of  bark  from  a  large  canoe-birch,  out 
of  which  we  contrived  a  sort  of  jacket  for  our  scantily-clad 
comrade. 

As  for  the  rest  of  us,  we  did  not  feel  uncomfortably  cold 
in  our  woollen  shirts  while  at  work.  It  was  only  on  sitting 
down  that  we  shivered. 

The  most  of  that  afternoon  was  spent  in  getting  up  a 
good  meal  out  of  such  as  we  had.  We  could  at  least  af- 
ford a  generous 'fire.  Our  only  anxiety  on  this  score  be- 
ing lest  the  "Cannucks"  should  see  the  smoke.  But  as 
the  pond  was  not  in  sight  from  the  lake  or  its  immediate 
shores,  we  had  no  great  fear  of  it 

We  were,  as  we  reckoned  it,  twelve  miles  from  the 
Cleaveland  camp. 


i&z  FRED'S  HARDY  PLAN. 

For  coverlets  that  night,  we  had  nothing  but  boughs  and 
birch  bark ;  but  we  built  a  great  fire  before  the  rocks,  and 
lay  close  to  each  other,  in  order  to  lose  no  warmth.  De- 
spite our  nestling,  we  got  pretty  cold  toward  morning. 

Fred  got  up  before  light  and  re-built  the  fire. 

Just  at  sunrise  there  came  on  another  violent  snow- 
Squall.  The  woods  sighed  and  roared.  It  darkened  ; 
and  the  snowflakes  fell  thickly.  It  made  us  shudder. 
Winter  was  evidently  at  no  great  distance,  and  what,  alas ! 
was  our  situation. 

At  breakfast,  which  we  at  length  got,  Fred  said, 
"  They  surprised  us :  what's  the  reason  we  can't  surprise 
them  ? " 

"  With  an  old  axe  and  a  butcher-knife ! "  Scott  ex- 
claimed, derisively. 

Fred  went  on  to  explain  that  they  would  not  always  be 
at  the  camp,  —  all  of  them,  at  least. 

But  how  do  you  know  they  are  there,  or  stayed  there  an 
hour  ? "  said  I. 

"Oh,  they'll  stay  there  and  trap  there  awhile,"  said 
Fred.  "  I  know  they  will.  That's  why  they  drove  us  off, 
—  they  wanted  our  chance." 

"  But  they  will  be  on  their  guard  for  a  day  or  two,"  he 
added,  after  a  long  pause. 

During  the  forenoon,  Farr  made  the  remark  that  if  we 
were  going  to  stay  there  we  might  as  well  go  to  digging 
gum  as  to  do  nothing. 

That  seemed  sensible.     Hope  revived  a  little.     Possibly 


WE   BEGIN   TO   DIG   SPRUCE   GUM.  183 

we  might  make  a  trifle  yet.  All  about  us  there  was  a 
heavy  spruce  growth,  and  on  many  of  the  trunks  we  had 
noticed  gum,  —  large  balls  of  it. 

"  But  what  are  we  to  dig  it  with  ?  "  Scott  questioned. 

"  Here's  the  axe,"  said  Farr. 

"  And  the  butcher-knife,"  said  Fred. 

"  That  will  be  for  two  only,"  objected  Scott.  (He  was 
homesick  enough  those  days ;  he  wanted  to  start  for  home.) 

"  There  are  the  case-knives,"  I  said. 

But  they  were  too  limber. 

That  fault  was  in  part  remedied  by  breaking  them  off 
midway  the  blade. 

To  hold  the  gum  after  it  was  dug,  we  provided  ourselves 
with  dishes,  or  trays,  made  gf  birch  bark,  fastened  together 
at  the  corners  with  wooden  pins. 

This  finding  som'ething  to  do  was  a  godsend  to  us.  Work 
takes  up  a  fellow's  mind.  We  grew  quite  cheerful  going 
from  tree  to  tree  to  dig  the  gum.  It  is  rather  pretty  work, 
too,  light  and  cheery.  There  is  a  pleasure  in  finding  rare 
"  good  trees  "  and  big  lumps.  Some  trees  would  be  quite 
crusted  with  it  on  one  side  from  the  ground  upward  for 
twenty  or  thirty  feet.  But  we  could  not  reach  higher  than 
six  or  seven  feet.  Sometimes  gumming  parties  bind  a 
chisel  to  a  long  pole.  There  is  also  manufactured  what  is 
called  a  gummer,  —  an  instrument  made  on  purpose  for  the 
business. 

We  had  to  use  such  instruments  as  we  had  in  hand. 
Nevertheless,  in  three  or  four  hours  we  dug  not  less  than 


184  FRESH    HOPES. 

six  quarts  of  clear  gum :  about  four  pounds  of  it,  we  judged ; 
and  we  reckoned  it  worth  not  less  than  two  dollars. 

When  a  party  has  had  a  long  run  of  misfortune,  even  lit- 
tle encouragements  cheer  them. 

"We will  take  home  what  clear  gum  we  can  carry,"  Farr 
said.  "  And  we  can  carry  a  hundred  weight  between  us. 
That  will  be  fifty  dollars,  certain." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Cloudy  and  Cold.  — A  Poor  Camp-fire.  —  Some  Animal  about  the 
Camp.  —  Restless  Watches.  —  Fred  Goes  off  to  Reconnoitre  the 
Cannuck  Camp.  — Gumming.  —  Killing  a  Partridge  with  a  Stone. 
—  A  Leveret. — A  Snow  Storm. — The  Exhaustlcss  Quantities  of 
Gum.  —  A  Gun.  —  Scott  Sneezes  Continuously.  —  His  Birch-bark 
Jackets.  —  Tough  Times. 

r  I  THAT  night  it  came  in  cloudy,  with  the  weather  cold 
JL  and  piercing.  We  had  bad  luck  with  our  fire.  It 
burned  but  poorly.  There  are  some  nights  that  a  camp- 
fire  will  not  burn  even  if  the  wood  be  good.  It  kept  dead- 
ening down  and  smouldered. 

Something  was  round  the  camp,  too,  —  some  creature. 
Perhaps  it  had  followed  us  in  from  gumming,  though  we 
did  not  hear  it  till  as  late  as  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
If  we  had  only  had  a  gun  we  would  have  made  it  scamper! 
Fred  did  not  care  for  it  He  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep. 
But  it  disturbed  me  thoroughly.  I  could  not  go  to  sleep. 
No  more  could  Scott ;  and  I  think  Farr  did  not  rest  any 
too  well.  I  noticed  he  kept  one  hand  on  the  butcher-knife. 
We  could  hear  twigs  break,  of!  a  little  way.  I  fancied  I 
could  see  its  eyes.  Repeatedly  I  heard  its  step.  It  kept 


l86  RESTLESS   WATCHES. 

prowling  about  till  near  morning.  We  had  little  idea  what 
it  was ;  the  night  was  too  dark  to  discern  any  thing  off 
from  the  fire. 

Toward  morning  I  fell  into  a  sound  nap. 

When  I  woke,  Farr  and  Scott  were  snoring  well ;  but 
Fred  was  gone.  jje  did  not  come  back  till  near  nine 
o'clock.  \Jflfe  guessed,  however,  that  he  had  gone  off  to 
reconnoitre,  and  so  got  breakfast  ready  and  waited :  that 
is  to  say,  we  waited  five  or  ten  minutes,  then  ate  the  best 
of  it,  but  kept  the  rest  warm  for  him. 

He  came  in  warm  and  tired. 

"  Wherever  have  you  been  ? "  we  asked. 

He  had  been  up  as  far  as  Indian  Point ;  seven  miles,  at 
least.  He  had  seen  nothing  of  the  Cannucks ;  but  there 
was  a  smoke  visible  over  the  woods  in  the  direction  of  the 
old  camp;  and  he  had  no  doubt  that  they  were  there  yet 

We  went  out  to  dig  gum  again;  and  that  day  we  dug 
what  we  called  five  pounds.  It  gave  us  some  idea  of  the 
vast  quantities  in  these  woods.  There  were,  we  perceived, 
tons  of  it.  The  supply  was  inexhaustible,  so  far  as  we 
were  concerned. 

That  day  Fred  killed  a  partridge  with  a  stone.  We  had 
it  for  supper.  The  reader  may  rest  assured  that  we  did 
not  throw  away  any  part  of  that  bird.  There  was  no  Spot 
to  eat  the  wings  and  legs  raw.  Poor  Spot !  We  supposed 
that  the  big  brindled  dog  —  Rogue  —  had  eaten  him  up. 

That  night  it  snowed  an  inch  or  two. 

Fred  went  off  early  again  to  reconnoitre  the  Cannucks. 


TOUGH  TIMES.  187 

On  coming  back,  he  told  us  that  he  had  been  to  the  high 
land  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  to  the  mouth  of  Bose- 
buck ;  and  he  had  heard  the  report  of  a  gun  up  near  the 
head  of  the  lake. 

"They  are  trapping  up  there,  full  blast,"  said  he.  "The 
wretches !  Isn't  it  awful  aggravating  ?  Our  traps,  our 
grub,  our  guns,  and  our  camp  !  " 

It  was  too  aggravating  to  dwell  on !  It  was  enough  to 
turn  a  fellow's  blood  to  gall ! 

We  gummed  five  or  six  pounds  that  day. 

Farr  killed  a  leveret  (young  hare)  with  a  pole.  We  had 
rabbit  for  supper. 

"  Rather  weak  stuff,"  so  Scott  said ;  and  it  was  so.  But 
it  was  better  than  sprung  pork,  —  for  a  change,  at  least. 

That  night  it  was  windy.     We  slept  very  cold. 

Scott  had  now  begun  to  sneeze  about  half  the  time.  He 
nearly  sneezed  himself  out  of  his  birch-bark  jacket.  He 
had  cold-sores  and  sore  eyes,  beside. 

Poor  wretch !  we  pitied  him.-  That  was  all  we  could  do,  — 
except  to  make  him  white  birch  jackets;  and  that  was  no 
small  job,  for  he  shook  them  to  pieces  sneezing. 

Those  were  tough  times.  I  don't  see  how  we  lived.  But 
we  were  too  outrageously  angry  to  die.  Most  of  all  things, 
we  wanted  to  get  square  with  those  beastly  Cannucks. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A.  Trip  to  Bose-buck  Cove. — The  Cannucks  Abroad  in  the  Bateau. 

—  We  Watch  Them  from  the  Bushes.  —  Fred's  Sudden  Resolu- 
tion.—  A  Hurried  JaunL  —  We   Set  off  for  the  Cannuck  Camp. 

—  Cautious  Movements.  —  Moments  of  Suspense.  —  Only  Rogue. 

—  Slaughter  of  Rogue.  —  Missing  Property.  —  Poor  Spot.  —  The 
Return  of  the  Cannucks.  —  "  Our  Turn  !  "  —  A  Bold  Stroke.  — 
Fortune  Favors  Us. 

r  I  i  HE  morning  after,  Fred  and  I  went  up  to  the  lake 
JL  together  to  see  whether  any  of  our  enemies  were 
abroad.  From  our  camp,  or  rather  den,  among  the  rocks 
at  Sunday  Pond,  up  to  the  lake,  it  was  about  three  miles, 
perhaps  three  and  a  half.  We  came  out  on  the  shore  at 
the  foot  of  Bose-buck  Cove,  and  stood  gazing  off  up  the 
lake  toward  the  islands,  distant  nearly  five  miles. 

Presently,  as  we  looked,  I  saw  a  speck  moving  across 
the  open  stretch,  between  two  of  the  islands.  Fred  saw  it 
at  the  same  moment. 

"  What's  that  ? "  he  said.    "  Isn't  that  a  boat  ? " 

It  seemed  likely. 

"Yes,  sir:  that's  our  old  bateau,  sure's  you're  born, 
Frank ! "  Fred  exclaimed,  a  moment  later.  "  Coming  down 
the  lake,  too." 


THE  CANNUCKS  ABROAD   IN  THE   BATEAU.  189 

We  hastily  retreated  out  of  sight  among  the  alders,  and 
then  watched  the  boat  eagerly,  anxiously. 

It  came  on  pretty  fast.  In  half  an  hour  it  was  in  plain 
sight ;  and  not  long  after  we  made  out  four  persons  in  it. 

"They  are  going  down  to  the  dam !"  exclaimed  Fred. 
"  Now's  our  time  1 " 

"But  they've  left  a  man  at  the  camp,"  I  objected. 

"Yes;  but  he  may  not  be  on  his  guard,"  said  Fred. 
"  Now's  our  time  to  strike.  He  may  step  out  a  moment, 
and  if  he  does,  why,  we'll  step  in.  Stay  here  and  watch 
the  boat.  I'll  run  for  the  other  boys." 

He  was  off  like  a  shot. 

It  seemed  a  desperate  enterprise ;  but  we  were  in  des- 
perate straits, — ready  to  run  risks. 

The  bateau  crawled  down  the  lake,  and  at  length  en- 
tered the  outlet  and  disappeared. 

How  long  they  would  stay  down  at  the  dam  and  the 
camp  there,  was  a  mere  matter  of  conjecture. 

Fred  must  have  run  all  the  way  down  to  the  pond ;  for 
in  less  than  an  hour  they  all  three  came  panting  through 
the  woods  :  Farr  greatly  excited  and  half  crazy,  and  Scott 
looking  pale  but  determined.  Once  started  on  such  an 
errand,  he  was  not  the  boy  to  show  the  white  feather. 

Fred  had  the  axe  and  butcher-knife.  He  cut  down  a 
horn-beam  sapling,  and  armed  the  rest  of  us  each  with  a 
formidable  club.  We  then  went  up  the  slope  to  the  height 
of  land.  There  we  struck  our  old  "  saple-line  "  on  the  west 
side  of  the  lake.  This  we  followed  up  the  west  shore 


IQO  A   HURRIED  JAUNT. 

Fred  went  ahead,  half  the  time  at  a  dog  trot.  The  rest 
of  us  with  our  clubs  kept  up  as  best  we  could.  Where  \ve 
could  see  out  through  the  woods  on  to  the  lake,  we  stopped 
to  take  a  look.  Each  time  it  rejoiced  our  hearts  to  see 
that  the  bateau  had  not  yet  come  out  in  sight  at  the  foot 
of  the  lake.  Then  on  we  would  go  again. 

I  do  not  think  we  were  much  over  an  hour  going  up. 

On  getting  within  a  half  mile  of  the  camp,  however,  we 
advanced  very  cautiously  ;  and  when  within  fifty  rods,  we 
spoke  only  in  whispers,  and  dared  not  let  so  much  as  a 
twig  break  under  our  feet. 

At  length  from  among  a  clump  of  alders  we  caught  sight 
of  it,  —  the  back  side  of  it  A  smoke  was  rising  lazily. 
We  could  even  smell  the  burning  wood.  All  was  quiet. 
Nobody  in  sight. 

"He's  inside  making  something,  or  perhaps  taking  a 
snooze,"  Farr  suggested. 

We  stood  watching  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes.  We 
knew  that  time  was  precious,  too.  Even  now  the  bateau 
might  be  on  its  way  up  the  lake  ! 

"  I'm  going  to  see  who's  there,  anyhow,"  Fred  whis- 
pered. 

He  crept  forward,  axe  in  hand.  Moving  to  the  right,  so 
as  to  bring  the  main  ox-camp  between  him  and  the  grain- 
shed,  he  went  quickly  up  to  within  a  dozen  yards  of  it. 
Then  after  listening  a  moment,  he  stole  forward  to  peep 
through  the  cracks  in  the  side  of  it.  But  before  he  was 
near  enough  for  this,  a  dog  barked  out  on  a  sudden.  In 


CAUTIOUS   MOVEMENTS.  191 

stantly  Fred  dropped  behind  a  stump.  Our  hearts  beat 
loudly.  We  expected  to  see  a  Cannuck  rush  out,  gun  in 
hand. 

But  nothing  stirred,  though  the  dog  continued  barking 
boisterously  from  within  the  shed.  We  saw  Fred  creep 
forward.  He  peeped  through  the  cracks ;  then,  as  if  re-as- 
sured, crawled  around  the  end  to  look  at  the  front  side. 
Then  he  jumped  to  his  feet  and  called  "Come  on!"  to 
us.  "There's  nobody  here." 

We  ran  out  to  the  shed. 

"  There's  not  a  soul  here,"  Fred  said,  as  we  came  up. 
"  He's  off  somewhere.  Left  the  dog  shut  in  to  watch. 
But  he'll  soon  be  back  if  he  hears  the  barking.  We'll 
put  an  end  to  it.  Be  ready  with  your  clubs."  Fred  un- 
buttoned the  door.  It  swung  partly  open.  Out  leaped 
Rogue  all  bristled  and  growl.  Farr  struck  him  across  the 
head  with  his  club,  on  the  instant.  The  blow  stunned 
him.  Fred  at  once  despatched  the  cur  with  the  axe. 

"  One  the  less  of  them,"  said  Farr. 

"  Be  on  the  lookout,"  Fred  advised.  "  You,  Scott,  and 
Farr." 

He  and  I  went  into  the  shed. 

"  Skins  are  gone,"  Fred  exclaimed,  at  first  glance, 
"  They've  either  hidden  them  or  sent  them  off." 

I  was  looking  for  the  guns.  There  were  four,  stood  up 
in  one  corner,  all  loaded :  two  of  their  old  muskets,  one 
of  our  double-barrelled  guns  (Farr's),  and  Fred's  single- 
barrel.  The  little  rifle  and  our  other  double-barrel  were 
gone. 


IQ2  MISSING   PROPERTY. 

"  Got  them  with  them  in  the  bateau,"  said  Farr. 

The  ammunition,  a  part  of  it,  lay  on  the  little  shelf 
where  we  had  kept  it.  We  at  once  drew  the  charges  and 
re-loaded  the  guns. 

Farr  ran  into  the  ox-camp. 

"There  are  ten  musk-rat  skins  and  one  of  the  mink 
skins  gone,"  he  reported. 

"Then  I'll  tell  you  what's  up!"  Fred  exclaimed. 
"They've  sent  a  man  off. — out  into  Canada  somewhere  — 
after  rum,  with  those  skins  and  the  scrip  they  got  from  us. 
That's  what's  the  matter  ! " 

We  could  find  nothing  of  our  coats,  or  waist-coats,  either, 
and  thought  it  quite  likely  that  they  had  sent  these  off 
too. 

The  hide  of  some  creature  had  been  nailed  up  to  the 
side  of  the  ox-camp,  meat  side  out.  We  pulled  it  down. 

It  was  the  skin  of  poor  Spot! 

"There's  all  there  is  left  of  your  dog,  Farr,"  said  Fred. 

The  sight  of  that  skin  made  Charles  Henry's  eyes  snap. 

"Poor  Spot!"  was  all  we  could  say;  and  there  lay  Rogue, 
too,  dead  as  a  hammer.  Truly  this  had  been  a  hard  week 
for  dogs. 

"But  don't  stand  fooling  there!"  Fred  exclaimed. 
"We've  not  a  moment  to  lose.  The  bateau  will  soon  be 
back,  and  then  what?  " 

"We  won't  let  them  land,"  said  Farr.  "We  will  stand 
with  our  guns  cocked  and  pointed,  and  drive  them  off." 

"  And  lose  the  bateau  and  what  there  is  in  it  1 "  cried 


POOR  SPOT.  193 

Fred.  "  That  won't  do !  We  must  work  shrewder  than 
that." 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  said  he,  after  a  little  thought.  "  Let's  get 
inside  the  shed,  shut  the  door,  and  lie  quiet  till  they  land. 
Then  we  will  stop  'em  short,  when  they  are  coming  up  to 
the  camp  from  the  boat." 

"What!  shoot  them!"  I  exclaimed. 

"  No  ;  if  we  work  it  right  there'll  be  no  need  of  that. 
They  are  a  set  of  sneaks.  They  won't  fight  if  they  see 
we  have  the  advantage.  We'll  have  our  guns  all  ready, 
cocked  and  aimed  at  their  heads  before  they  see  us.  I'll 
do  the  talking.  Don't  shoot,  any  of  you,  unless  I  give  the 
word.  We  won't  hurt  them  unless  we're  obliged  to.  But 
we'll  have  our  things  back,  anyhow.  They  don't  deserve 
to  live,  the  scoundrels!  But  we  won't  shed  their  dirty 
blood.  We'll  save  'em  for  the  gallows.  Now,  fellows, 
keep  cool.  Don't  get  scared.  Keep  cool.  That's  half 
the  battle.  If  we've  got  any  pluck  about  us,  we  must  show 
it  now.  Now's  the  time  to  show  what  stuff  we're  made 
of." 

Instead  of  the  shed,  we  concluded  to  lay  in  ambush  in 
the  ox-camp.  The  door-way  of  the  latter  was  larger  and 
we  could  step  out  quicker. 

The  carcass  of  old  Rogue  we  threw  inside  the  shed  and 
shut  the  door,  just  as  they  had  left  it.  We  even  nailed 
Spot's  skin  to  the  side  of  the  ox-camp  again. 

It  was  now  a  little  past  noon.  We  kept  out  of  sight  in 
the  camp  and  waited. 


194  MOMENTS   OF   SUSPENSE. 

An  hour  passed.  It  was  this  having  to  wait  that  tried 
our  courage  most  of  all.  As  long  as  we  could  put  things 
through  with  a  rush,  we  felt  pretty  brave.  We  had  no 
thoughts  of  backing  out,  however ;  but  the  delay  made  us 
nervous. 

Finally,  about  two  o'clock,  we  heard  the  sound  of  paddles 
coming  up  the  stream  and  soon  rough  voices.  Our  hearts 
jumped,  —  at  least  my  own  did.  I  /eft-pale  and  I  noticed 
the  other  boys  looked  so.  We  shut  our  teeth  hard  and 
braced  ourselves. 

Nearer  came  the  sounds.  Each  fresh  noise  sent  a  thrill 
through  me.  Fred  only  stood  where  he  could  peep  out. 

The  boat  came  slowly  up  to  the  landing  place.  They 
were  talking  in  French,  —  Canada  French.  Their  voices 
were  coarse.  We  knew  enough  of  their  talk  to  perceive 
that  their  words  were  nearly  all  oaths.  The  sound  of  pad- 
dles stopped.  I  heard  them  unshipping  their  oars. 

"  Be  ready,"  Fred  whispered. 

They  were  getting  out. 

Still  Fred  stood  motionless. 

"  They've  stolen  a  barrel  of  that  pork  down  at  the  other 
camp,"  he  whispered,  at  length.  "  They're  unloading  it. 
Now  they've  begun  to  roll  it  up  toward  the  camp.  They've 
left  their  guns  in  the  boat.  Be  ready !  " 

I  could  hear  the  heavy  barrel  crunching  on  the  stones 
and  chips ;  could  hear  even  their  breathings  as  they  rolled 
it  along,  with  now  and  then  an  ejaculated  French  word 
or  curse. 


THE    RETURN    OF   THE   CANNUCKS. 


'95 


"Now!"  Fred  whispered,  and  stepped  noiselessly  out. 
We  followed  him. 

They  were  not  a  dozen  yards  off ;  but  they  were  bent 
over  and  did  not  see  us  even  then. 

"  Halt,  there !  "  Fred  shouted. 

You  ought  to  have  seen  them  jump!     One   of  them 


"HALT,  THERE!' 

jumped  up  a  foot  from  the  ground!  We  had  our  guns 
pointed  full  in  their  faces. 

"  Stand  where  you  are,"  Fred  said,  distinctly. 

They  stood  and  stared;  they  were  astounded.  One  of 
them  turned  partially,  as  if  to  run  to  the  bateau. 

"  Stop ! "  Fred  shouted.  "  If  you  stir  I'll  shoot  you 
dead !  "  taking  aim  at  him. 


196  "OUR  TURN!" 

He  stopped. 

"  It's  our  turn  now,"  said  Fred.  "  You  had  your  turn. 
But  now  we've  got  you.  If  you  offer  the  least  resistance, 
we  will  kill  you  on  the  spot !  We'll  shoot  you  down  like 
dogs !  "  They  stared  at  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  stupidly. 

"  Turn  that  barrel  up  on  end !  "  ordered  Fred,  advancing 
with  his  double-barrelled  gun  pointed  directly  among  them. 
Two  of  them  stooped  and  turned  it  up. 

"  Now  put  our  knives  and  whatever  you  stole  from  us  on 
it,"  Fred  ordered. 

They  hesitated  alarmedly ;  they  did  not  understand. 

"  Conteau-canif!"  shouted  Fred,  slapping  his  pocket  and 
pointing  to  the  head  of  the  barrel. 

Then  they  knew  what  was  wanted,  and  fumbled  the  knives 
and  trinkets  out  one  by  one,  the  most  of  them,  and  laid 
them  down  as  directed. 

"Now  the  'mowney*  you  stole  from  us! "  Fred  sang  out 

They  looked  scared,  shook  their  heads.  "  No  got,"  they 
said.  "  No  got.  Gome,"  pointing  off  up  the  river. 

"  Hand  it  out !  "  Fred  yelled  at  them. 

"  No  got !  no  got !  gorne  !  "  they  protested.  "  Peter 
gorne ! " 

"  We  saw  that  the  one  which  acted  as  their  leader  when 
they  robbed  us  was  really  gone.  He  was  probably  the  Pctet 
referred  to. 

"Where  are  our  'coarts'  and  ' warst-cuts' ? "  Fred  de 
manded. 

"  Gorne  1  gorne  ! "  they  chorused. 


A   BOLD   STROKE.  197 

At  that  Fred  pretended  to  be  terribly  enraged.  He  took 
aim  at  them.  So  did  we  all. 

They  cowered,  but  kept  saying,  " Gornel  Gomel" 

We  had  little  doubt  of  it. 

"  Pull  off  those  boots ! "  thundered  Fred,  pointing  to 
Scott's  rubber  boots,  which  one  of  them  had  on. 

The  villain  obeyed  with  great  promptness,  and  set  them 
together  as  far  from  him  as  he  could  well  reach. 

"  Take  off  your  'coartsj  "  said  Fred. 

They  took 'them  off. 

"  Take  off  your  '  warst-cuts.1 " 

They  began  to  obey,  but  one  of  them  grumbled  audibly. 

"  Not  a  yip  out  of  you  !"  Fred  shouted. 

The  rest  of  us  covered  him  with  our  guns.  The  vest  came 
off  quick  and  was  laid  with  the  others. 

"I've  a  great  mind  to  strip  them  stark  naked,"  Fred  mut- 
tered. 

"I  guess  I  wouldn't,"  said  Scott.  "It  isn't  best  to  behave 
worse  than  they  did.  But  I  should  like  my  shirt  back." 

"Off  with  that  shirt ! "  exclaimed  Fred,  pointing  his  gun 
at  one  of  the  best-looking  of  their  shirts,  worn  by  the  man 
with  the  crease  mouth. 

He  pulled  it  off.     It  left  him  bare  to  his  dirty  hairy  skin. 

"Have  we  served  them  bad  enough?"  Fred  now  ques- 
tioned. 

I  thought  so,  for  one. 

"  I  guess  they  will  do,"  Fair  said. 

"All  right,"  said  Fred.     "Now  take  aim  at  them,  sharp." 


198  FORTUNE   FAVORS   US. 

We  aimed,  as  if  about  to  shoot  them  down.  I  rather 
think  they  expected  it.  No  doubt  they  were  well  aware 
that  they  deserved  it. 

Fred  pointed  off  Up  the  river. 

"  Stiver ! "  he  shouted.  "  Mog  !  you  won't  find  us  nap- 
ping again!"  They  started  hesitatingly,  as  if  half  afraid 
to  move. 

"Mog!"  Fred  reiterated. 

They  quickened  thsir  steps  with  eyes  over  their  shoulders. 

"Run  !"  we  all  yelled  after  them. 

Then  they  ran — for  life,  through  the  brush  along  the 
river.  No  doubt  they  expected  we  would  fire  after  them. 

We  kept  shouting,  then  ran  on  after  them,  half  way  up  to 
Little  Boy's  Falls.  But  we  soon  lost  sight  of  them ;  for  they 
scudded  away  like  foxes. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

The  Little  Rifle  Gone.  —  The  Cannucks  Coats  and  Waist-coats.  —  Dog- 
skin Vests.  —  The  Captured  Weapons.  —  A  Discussion.  —  Sentinel 
Duty.  —  We  Determine  to  Shift  our  Quarters.  —  The  Log  Camp 
on  the  Knoll.  —  We  Fortify  our  Position  with  a  Log  Fence  Nine 
Feet  High.—  A  Strong  Fort—  The  "  Sheep-hole."—  Our  First 
Night  in  the  New  Camp.  —  Snug.  —  Armed  and  Ready. 


ended  the  affair,  for  that  day. 
JL  In  the  bateau  we  found  the  other  double-barrelled 
gun  and  the  other  of  their  old  muskets.  But  the  little 
rifle  was  gone.  We  concluded  that  Peter  had  taken  that 
too.  Fred's  jack-knife  was  not  in  the  pile  on  the  barrel 
head.  One  of  our  combs,  too,  was  missing,  as  also  several 
other  trinkets. 

Their  old  dirty  waist-coats  we  had  no  disposition  to  put 
on. 

But  the  shirt  Scott  put  in  soak  that  night,  and  the  next 
day  dried  it  and  clothed  himself  in  it,  —  not  without  cer- 
tain inward  misgivings  and  a  great  deal  of  repugnance. 

One  of  the  coats  was  an  army  dress  coat,  a  good  deal 
worn  and  soiled.  Another  was  an  army  overcoat  with  the 


200  THE  CAPTURED   WEAPONS. 

skirts  cut  off.  The  two  others  were  frocks  made  of  coon 
skins,  the  hair  turned  in.  The  reader  can  guess  how  they 
looked ! 

We  first  shook  them,  then  we  smoked  them  over  the  fire, 
then  hung  them  in  the  wind.  But  there  was  a  certain 
odor  about  them  that  could  not  be  shaken  out.  As  it 
grew  colder,  however,  we  were  glad  to  put  them  on.  The 
coon  skins  especially  were  remarkably  warm  garments. 

We  skinned  Rogue;  and  after  the  hide  had  dried, 
Fred  made  Scott  a  waist-coat  out  of  it ;  and  on  the  same 
pattern  Farr  made  one  for  himself  out  of  Spot's  skin. 

We  found  in  the  shed  two  blankets,  which  we  were  very 
sure  were  two  of  the  four  stolen  from  us  when  the  old 
camp  was  burned.  We  had  no  doubt  that  it  was  the  same 
party. 

There  was  also  a  large  powder-horn  full  of  shot,  and  a 
tin  canteen  nearly  full  of  Hazard  powder.  Both  of  these 
we  found  hidden  amid  the  boughs  of  the  bunk.  There 
was  an  old  Colt's  revolver  lying  with  them,  loaded  with 
buck-shot,  and  a  rusty  dirk-knife. 

We  did  good  sentinel  duty  that  night ;  indeed,  none  of 
us  slept  much.  The  excitement  of  the  day  had  keyed  us 
up  too  high. 

We  watched  alternately,  with  guns  ready  for  instant  use. 
There  was  a  moon. 

The  situation  of  the  old  shed,  however,  in  connection 
with  the  ox-camp,  was  unfavorable  for  defence.  About 
twenty  rods  to  the  north  of  it,  a  high  knoll  covered  with 


A  DISCUSSION.  20X 

dry  spruce  tops  where  the  trees  had  been  cut,  commanded 
it  in  most  approved  military  fashion;  and  there  were 
thickets  on  the  west  and  south  sides,  from  any  of  which  a 
concealed  Cannuck  might  fire  upon  us.  We  had  little 
doubt  that  they  would  come  back  and  watch  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  surprise  us. 

The  following  morning  we  held  a  serious  council. 

"  Will  it  not  be  better  to  pack  up,  find  what  of  our  traps 
we  can,  and  go  off, — down  to  Metallic  Pond,  say,  —  and 
leave  them  '  alone  in  their  glory '  ? "  Scott  questioned. 
"  Then  we  shall  be  sure  of  no  more  trouble  from  them." 

For  my  own  part,  I  was  much  of  Scott's  mind  in  this. 

"  When  that  blear-eyed,  pit-faced  captain  of  theirs  gets 
back  with  the  rum,  there'll  be  a  great  to-do  about  this," 
Scott  went  on.  "  They'll  come  round  here  again,  trying  to 
get  revenge ;  and  we  shall  have  a  fight  with  them,  likely 
as  not." 

But  Fred  would  not  hear  a  word  to  leaving  on  this  ac- 
count. 

"  I'll  not  be  driven  out  by  any  such  set  of  ruffians,"  he 
declared.  "They've  no  business  here  whatever.  They 
are  a  lot  of  'deserters'  and  'bounty-jumpers'  from  the 
army, — now  turned  into  robbers  and  perhaps  murderers. 
I'll  not  run  for  any  such  trash!  They've  no  business 
whatever  on  the  soil  of  this  State.  I  won't  budge  for 
them  an  inch.  If  I  see  one  of  them  hanging  round  here 
again,  it  will  be  the  worse  for  him.  And  as  for  their  firing 
at  us,  they  will  find  that  we  can  fire  back.  We've  got  the 


202  THE   LOG  CAMP   ON  THE   KNOLL. 

upper  hands  of  them  now,  and  I  for  one  mean  to  keep  the 
upper  hand." 

At  such  talk  as  this  we  all  began  to  wax  warlike  again. 
We  had  not  run  from  them  yet,  and  did  not  mean  to  do  so. 
Let  them  come  if  they  wanted  to.  They  would  find  a  hot 
reception.  They  would  not  find  us  all  asleep  again  with 
the  door  unfastened  : — so  we  talked. 

Then  it  was  debated  how  we  should  fortify  our  camp,  to 
prevent  a  surprise,  evenings  and  nights. 

"Let's  tear  down  the  old  ox-camp  and  build  a  strong 
palisade  round  our  shed  here,"  Scott  proposed. 

But  the  rest  of  us  did  not  like  the  way  the  knoll  over- 
looked the  shed.  We  went  up  on  the  knoll  to  look  about, 
taking  our  guns,  of  course,  and  keeping  a  careful  eye  about 
us. 

This  knoll  was  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet  higher  than 
the  ox-camp.  On  the  side  next  the  river  it  fell  off  very 
steep  to  the  water.  On  the  west  and  north  sides  the  de- 
clivity was  not  so  great.  On  the  lower  side,  next  the  camp, 
it  was  rather  steep.  The  best  of  the  spruces  had  been 
cut  off.  But  there  were  scattering  trees  all  about. 

From  the  top  of  the  knoll  it  was  what  Fred  called  "  all 
clear  shooting  "  for  fifteen  or  twenty  rods  on  all  sides. 

"  Why  not  build  a  camp  up  here  ?  "  Farr  said. 

After  some  talk  we  concluded  we  could  not  do  better. 
Axes  were  brought  up :  those  put  away  in  the  old  grain- 
box.  We  set  to  work  chopping,  all  four  of  us,  in  good 
earnest.  The  spruces  were  felled,  and  cut  up  into  logs 
thirteen  feet  long  (about  that). 


A   STRONG    FORT.  203 

I  remember  that  we  cut  six  logs  apiece,  —  twenty- 
four  in  all.  With  these  we  next  proceeded  to  build  the 
walls  of  a  shed.  On  three  sides  we  built  up  with  the  logs, 
notching  and  locking  the  ends  together  as  is  done  in 
building  a  log  camp,  or  house  of  any  sort.  But  we  left 
the  front  side  open,  and  to  secure  the  ends  of  the  end  logs, 
where,  as  in  a  full  sided  camp,  the  front-side  logs  should 
have  locked  across  them,  we  drove  down  stout  stakes  on 
both  sides  and  bound  them  together  with  strong  withes. 

The  heaviest  logs  we  placed  at  the  bottom,  and  then 
rolled  the  lighter  ones  up  into  their  places  on  skids. 

These  walls  were  about  six  feet  high;  hardly  that, 
though,  I  think,  on  reflection. 

The  roof  we  made  of  ash  poles,  over  which  we  laid  splits 
from  the  old  shed. 

On  the  open  front  side  we  hung  up  the  tent,  which  we 
found  in  the  shed  as  we  left  it,  with  the  exception  of  a 
square  bit  cut  out  for  a  patch  for  some  of  their  clothes.  It 
furnished  us  with  a  very  good  door  or  curtain  to  our  hut. 

The  building  of  this  hut  occupied  all  the  forenoon ;  we 
worked  hard.  too.  But  we  had  a  still  harder  task  planned 
for  afternoon.  For  we  had  no  thought  of  trusting  our- 
.selves  in  the  shed  with  no  other  protection. 

"  We  must  have  a  wall  round  it,"  Fred  declared. 

But  as  stones  were  scarce,  and  the  building  of  a  stone 
wall  would  have  been  a  great  task,  we  decided  to  make  a 
stockade  of  logs.  And  that  was  no  small  job. 

During  all   the  afternoon,  allowing  ourselves  only   an 


204  THE   "SHEEP-HOLE." 

hour  for  dinner,  we  toiled  till  the  sun  set,  and  raised  a 
huge  fence  nine  feet  high  on  all  sides  of  the  hut.  This 
fence  was  of  logs  laid  upon  each  other,  much  like  ordina- 
ry log  fences,  only  snug  together,  leaving  but  few  cracks. 

It  was  about  thirty-six  feet  square  on  the  outside,  and 
consequently  left  a  walk  about  ten  feet  wide  around  the 
hut  inside  the  fence.  The  hut  was  our  castle  and  the 
fence  was  our  castle-wall. 

The  only  door-way  through  the  fence  was  a  hole  about 
three  feet  square.  Through  this  we  crept.  For  a  door 
we  brought  up  the  door  from  the  grain-shed,  and  set  it 
sidewise  betwixt  stakes  on  the  inside  in  such  a  way  that 
no  one  could  open  it  from  the  outside.  Whichever  of  us 
happened  to  be  on  guard,  he  had  to  open  it  for  the  rest  of 
us  when  we  returned  from  our  trips  to  visit  traps,  or  other- 
wise. 

Inside  the  fence  we  had  a  platform  of  logs  built  up, 
where  the  guard  could  stand  and  look  off  over  the  top  of 
the  fence. 

That  was  a  hard  afternoon's  work.  Just  at  dusk  we 
carried  up  the  old  stove  and  set  it  up  inside  the  stockade. 

The  Cannucks  had  made  a  great  hole  in  our  potatoes. 
Evidently  they  had  found  them  very  palatable ;  and  they 
had  eaten  up  nearly  the  whole  of  our  butter.  This  was 
very  vexatious. 

"The  scamps!"  Fred  would  ejaculate.  "I  wish  we 
had  stripped  them  to  their  skins  and  slit  their  noses  for 
'em ! " 


ARMED  AND   READY.  205 

It  was  dark  before  we  had  got  fairly  moved  into  our 
new  quarters.  But  once  in  there,  within  our  nine-foot 
fence,  with  the  "  sheep-hole "  (as  Farr  called  the  door) 
stopped  up,  we  felt  much  more  secure. 

"  They  would  have  hard  work  to  get  over  that  before  we 
could  pop  them ! "  Fred  said. 

We  took  care  to  have  our  guns  loaded  and  at  hand. 

I  have  often  thought  since  that  we  were  rather  blood- 
ily-minded in  those  days.  Yet  what  else  could  we  do? 
If  we  stayed  we  must  defend  ourselves;  and  Fred  was 
determined  to  stay;  he  certainly  had  a  right  to  stay,  though 
I  suppose  a  genuine  peace-maker  would  have  thought  it 
better  to  go  away  at  once.  But  there  must  be  some  fight- 
ing in  the  world,  else  the  peace-makers  themselves  would 
soon  have  a  hard  time  of  it 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


Our  Night  Watches.  —  Lonely  Hours.  — Three  Martens.  — A  Myste- 
rious Cry.  —  A  Snow-Storm.  —  Bad  Weather  for  Trapping. — A 
Moose  in  Sight  on  Indian  Point. — A  Stratagem  for  Capturing  it 
—  A  Psuedo  Hound.  — The  Moose  Takes  to  the  Lake.  — We  Give 
Chase  in  the  Bateau. —A  Long  Pull.  — A  Gallant  Struggle  for 
Life.  —  Towing  a  Moose.  —  Facts  about  a  Moose. 


FOR  the  sake  of  regularity  and  convenience,  we  di- 
vided the  night  into  four  watches:  the  first  from 
eight,  evening,  till  half  past  ten  ;  the  second  from  half 
past  ten  till  one,  morning;  the  third  from  one  till  half 
past  three ;  the  fourth  from  that  time  till  six,  the  hour 
for  rising.  And  here  Scott's  old  watch  —  which  he  carried 
without  a  guard  in  a  little  inside  pocket  within  the  waist- 
band of  his  pants,  and  which  escaped  the  general  robbery 
by  the  "  Cannucks  "  —  did  us  good  service. 

It  had  a  curious  semblance  of  military  life,  —  our  hours 
of  guard-duty  by  night,  and  the  constant  vigilance  with 
which  we  watched  days.  I  well  remember  that  first  night 
in  the  new  camp,  I  had  the  watch  from  one  till  half  past 
three.  It  was  chilly.  The  stars  shone  brightly.  There 


LONELY   HOURS.  207 

were  occasional  windy  gusts,  to  which  the  vast  sombre 
forest  rustled  and  sighed.  The  falls  roared  at  a  distance ; 
and  nearer,  at  the  foot  of  the  knoll,  I  could  hear  the  fret 
of  the  black  current  on  the  banks,  and  catch  the  silvery 
reflection  of  stars.  A  saw-whet  owl  was  practising  at  a 
distance.  Once  a  bear  called  out  in  lonely  plaint.  A 
hooting  owl  answered.  But  the  hours  were  hours  of  silence 
and  desolation,  for  the  most  part. 

And  thus  it  has  been  here,  I  reflected,  through  all  the 
ages  since  time  began.  No  wonder  that  wildness  and 
loneliness  have  become  stamped  ineffably  as  it  were  on 
these  wilderness  regions. 

The  next  morning  Farr  was  detailed  to  do  guard-duty 
at  camp  for  the  day.  Fred,  Scott,  and  I  set  off  to  make 
the  round  of  the  "  saple  line,"  and  look  to  our  traps  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  lake.  We  went  armed  each  with  a  gun  ; 
and  Fred  took  the  old  revolver  which  Farr  had  loaded 
with  the  bullets  run  for  the  broken  carbine. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  lake  we  found  two  martens  dead 
in  the  traps.  We  concluded  that  the  "  Cannucks  "  had  not 
hit  upon  the  saple  traps.  But  they  had  found  our  traps 
at  the  dam,  and  moved  them  into  different  places :  three 
were  found ;  the  others  were  removed  to  some  other  locality, 
we  presumed. 

Down  at  the  rapids  we  found  a  mink  in  a  trap,  dead 
also.  It  had  probably  been  caught  four  or  five  days 
previously.  These  traps  were  all  as  we  had  left  them. 

In  the  marten  traps  on  the  west  shore  of  the  lake,  there 


208  A   HARD   DAY'S  WORK. 

was  one  marten,  just  caught  evidently,  for  he  was  still 
warm,  though  the  heavy  weight  had  broken  his  back. 

We  hurried  a  good  deal,  and  made  this  entire  round  in 
a  little  more  than  five  hours. 

Farr  reported  all  quiet,  with  no  signs  of  "  Cannucks." 

Dinner  was  got  and  eaten.  Then  we  went  down  the 
stream  in  the  bateau  to  look  to  the  muskrat  traps  in  Indian 
Cove.  The  "  Cannucks  "  had  been  here.  The  traps  had 
been  changed  about,  but  we  found  all  save  four.  There 
were  five  muskrats  caught. 

This  trip  took  us  about  two  hours,  and  we  still  had  time 
to  go  up  to  Little  Boys  Falls.  Of  the  traps  we  had  set 
here,  the  Canadians  had  removed  all  but  two.  In  one  of 
these  there  had  been  a  mink,  but  he  had  footed  himself 
and  gone. 

That  was  a  hard  day's  work.  We  reckoned  the  entire 
profit  from  the  fur  at  thirteen  dollars,  —  three  dollars  and 
a  quarter  apiece. 

That  night  Fred  had  the  second  watch,  and  at  about 
twelve  he  waked  us. 

"  Just  come  out  here  a  minute,"  he  said. 

We  roused  up  and  went  out. 

Fred  was  standing  on  the  log  platform ;  and  we  got  up 
beside  him. 

"  Hark  ! "  he  said. 

We  listened.  Some  moments  passed.  Then,  distinct 
on  the  cold  air,  there  came  a  singularly  prolonged  and 
piercing  cry  from  seemingly  a  long  way  off. 


A   MYSTERIOUS   CRY.  209 

"  I've  heard  that  more  than  a  dozen  times,"  said  Fred. 

"  Any  idea  what  it  is  ? "  Fair  asked  him. 

"  No ;  never  heard  any  thing  like  it  before  in  my  life." 

It  was  repeated  again  and  again,  at  intervals  of  five  or 
ten  minutes. 

"  I  don't  believe  that  it  is  an  animal,"  Farr  said. 

"  Isn't  it  the*  '  Cannucks '  trying  to  frighten  us  ?  "  Scott 
said. 

That  question  made  us  laugh.  It  was  a  rather  improb- 
able supposition. 

We  went  back  to  our  sleep. 

Fred  said  next  day  that  the  sound  had  continued  for  an 
hour  or  over  after  we  had  gone  to  sleep. 

And  the  next  night  Farr  waked  us  at  a  few  minutes 
after  two  to  hear  the  same  cries  again. 

They  seemed  even  more  distinct  this  time.  But  we 
could  gain  no  idea  as  to  what  produced  them. 

The  second  night  after,  Scott  told  us  that  at  a  quarter 
before  five  o'clock  he  had  heard  it  twice,  but  very  faint 
and  far  off.  I  do  not  think  that  even  the  second  time  we 
heard  it  that  it  was  within  three. miles  of  the  camp. 

"  Ah,  I  tell  you,  fellows,  there  are  things  in  these  woods 
that  folks  do  not  know  of,"  Fred  would  say  occasionally. 
This  was  a  pet  idea  of  his  ;  and,  indeed,  we  never  did 
know  what  made  that  noise ;  we  could  not  even  guess 
with  any  certainty. 

The  fourth  night  after  moving  up  to  our  fortified  camp  it 
was  very  dark  and  cloudy ;  and,  at  a  few  minutes  after  eight, 


210  A   SNOW-STORM. 

it  came  on  to  snow,  —  a  driving  storm.  I  had  the  first 
watch,  but  was  glad  to  get  down  from  the  post  of  duty  and 
take  refuge  inside  the  shed. 

"  I  guess  the  '  Cannucks '  won't  stir  out  to-night,"  Fred 
said. 

It  was  agreed  to  watch  inside  our  camp-curtain.  But 
at  about  half-past  one  there  was  a  noise  outside,  on  the 
log-fence,  as  of  some  one  trying  to  climb  it.  Farr  was  on 
guard.  He  instantly  cocked  his  gun,  listened  an  instant, 
then  peeped  out  very  cautiously  ;  for  he  knew,  that,  if  there 
were  enemies  inside  the  fence,  they  would  fire  into  the  camp 
at  the  slightest  indication  of  our  wakefulness. 

The  storm  was  driving  so  thickly,  and  the  darkness  was 
so  great,  that  he  could  see  nothing.  But  he  stood  ready 
for  instant  defence  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes ;  then  he 
quietly  waked  the  rest  of  us,  and  in  whispers  informed  us 
of  what  he  suspected.  We  all  took  our  guns,  and  listened 
a  long  while.  At  length  Fred  crept  out  under  the  curtain, 
with  his  revolver  in  one  hand,  and  the  butcher-knife  betwixt 
his  teeth ! 

He  was  out  ten  minutes  or  more ;  and,  on  coming  in, 
reported  that  he  could  find  nothing  either  within  or  without 
the  fence.  But  Fair  was  positive  that  he  had  heard  a 
considerable  noise.  Afterwards  we  thought  that  it  might 
have  been  a  wild  cat,  or  a  bear  that  had  smelled  our  meat. 

But  the  alarm  had  so  excited  us  that  we  none  of  us 
went  to  sleep  again  till  near  five  o'clock. 

That  morning  the  country  presented  a  wintry  appear- 


A  MOOSE  IN  SIGHT:  211 

ance.  The  firs  and  spruce  were  laden  with  the  snow,  and 
the  ground  was  ghostly  white.  The  open  stream  at  the 
foot  of  the  knoll  looked  like  a  river  of  ink  in  its  white 
banks.  It  was  still  snowing. 

Getting  breakfast  that  morning  was  a  work  of  time. 

Toward  ten  o'clock  the  storm  ceased.  About  four 
inches  had  fallen. 

"We've  got  a  sweet  job  before  us,  to  dig  out  all  our 
traps  and  set  them  up  again,"  Fred  remarked. 

He  and  I  started  down  the  river  in  the  bateau  to  look 
to  the  muskrat  traps,  leaving  Scott  and  Fair  in  camp. 
We  were  just  emerging  into  the  lake,  when  Fred  stopped 
paddling. 

"  Hold  on,"  said  he :  "I  believe,  on  my  soul,  that's  a 
moose ! " 

"Where?  "I  exclaimed. 

"  Right  out  between  these  islands  ahead ;  on  Indian 
Point,"  said  Fred.  "  Don't  you  see  something  there  ? " 

The  distance  was  half  a  mile  or  over ;  but  on  the  snowy 
shore  of  the  Point,  among  the  bushes  near  the  water's 
edge,  I  plainly  discerned  some  large  animal  moving  about 

"  That's  a  moose,  sure  as  you're  breathing ! "  Fred , 
exclaimed  excitedly.  "  Now,  how  are  we  going  to  get 
him  ?  Antlers,  too  1  Don't  you  see  them  ?  A  big  stag 
moose !  We  must  have  that  old  chap.  But  the  minute  he 
sets  eyes  on  us  you'll  hear  a  smashing !  And  he  will  see 
us  up  here  if  we  don't  look  out." 

'  Can  we  not  surround  him  ? "  said  I.     "  By  going  down 


212       A  STRATAGEM  FOR  CAPTURING  HIM. 

through  the  woods  we  could  cut  him  off,  so  he  could  not 
leave  the  Point  without  our  getting  a  shot  at  him." 

"Yes;  but  he  would  take  to  the  water,"  said  I  red. 
"  The  moment  he  heard  us  coming  up  the  Point  behind 
him,  he  would  splash  into  the  lake,  and  fin  it  across  to  the 
east  shore.  But  I  have  it ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  We  will 
two  of  us  come  down  in  the  bateau  at  the  same  time  ;  and, 
if  he  takes  to  the  water,  we  will  overhaul  him  in  the 
boat." 

As  quickly,  yet  with  as  little  noise  as  possible,  we  pulled 
back  up  to  the  camp. 

Farr  and  Scott  were  both  excited  when  they  heard  our 
account. 

"  But  who  will  guard  the  camp  ? "  I  said. 

That  was  a  poser.  We  all  wanted  to  go  after  the 
moose ;  yet  we  all  agreed  that  it  was  not  safe  for  all  to 
leave  camp.  The  "  Cannucks  "  might  come. 

"  Shall  have  to  draw  lots  for  it,"  Fred  said. 

But  here  Scott  did  a  magnanimous  thing. 

*  I'll  stay,"  said  he.  "  Go  ahead,  the  rest  of  you :  I'll 
keep  guard." 

Upon  that  both  Farr  and  myself  were  seized  with  a  fit 
of  generosity.  We  offered  to  stay  in  his  place. 

"  No,"  said  Scott :  "  I'll  stay  this  time." 

"Come  on,  then,"  Fred  exclaimed.  "Load  up  for 
moose ! " 

Both  of  the  double-barrelled  guns  and  two  of  the  old 
muskets  were  charged  with  bullets. 


A   PSEUDO   HOUND.  213 

It  was  agreed  for  one  of  us  to  run  down  through  the 
woods  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  to  Indian  Point  and 
cut  off  the  moose,  to  prevent  his  leaving  the  Point, 
while  the  other  two  went  in  the  bateau,  as  Fred  had 
planned. 

Farr  rolunteered  to  run  down  through  the  woods,  and 
set  off  at  a  trot  with  one  of  the  double-barrels. 

Fred  and  I  rowed  back  down  the  stream  as  fast  as  we 
could. 

As  Indian  Point  projects  for  a  third  of  a  mile  or  up- 
wards into  the  lake,  we  had  not  much  fear  of  the  moose 
getting  back  off  of  it,  especially  as  he  appeared,  when  we 
saw  him,  to  be  leisurely  feeding. 

On  coming  out  on  the  lake,  Fred  and  I  kept  on  the  lee 
of  the  second  island  ;  but  we  pulled  out  to  near  the  lower 
end  of  it,  where  we  could  peep  through  the  alder  fringe. 
From  here  we  at  first  saw  nothing  of  the  moose. 

"I'm  afraid  he  heard  us,  and  is  gone,"  Fred  said. 
"  Their  ears  are  quicker  than  magic  oil ! " 

We  were  in  an  eager  suspense,  and  hung  there  waiting 
for  Farr  to  get  down.  He  had  some  two  miles  and  a  half 
to  go. 

Presently  we  heard  a  hound,  "  Ough,  ough,  ough  /"  from 
the  woods  off  beyond  the  Point. 

"  A  hunting  party ! "  Fred  exclaimed,  with  a  look  of  dis 
tress. 

But  the  regular  bay  soon  changed  to  a  "yap" 

"  That's  no  hound,"  said  I. 


214  THE   MOOSE  TAKES  TO  THE   LAKE. 

" That's  Farr  barking,"  cried  Fred  disgustedly.  "Well, 
let  him  bark.  It's  the  best  thing  he  can  do." 

Soon  after  we  heard  a  gun. 

"  If  the  moose  is  on  the  Point,  he  will  soon  be  out  in 
sight,"  muttered  Fred ;  and  he  was  correct  in  his  surmise. 
Immediately  we  saw  the  bushes  swaying ;  and,  a  second 
afterward,  the  moose  sprang  through  them,  and  stood  in 
the  edge  of  the  water,  his  great  ears  held  up  alertly,  and 
his  head  turned  to  glance  into  the  woods  behind  him.  So 
motionless  did  he  stand  there,  listening,  that  I  should  have 
taken  him  for  a  great  black  upturned  root.  Then  he  ran 
along  the  shore,  through  the  bushes  and  brush,  for  several 
rods  around  the  end  to  the  south  side.  We  held  our 
breaths. 

"  He's  going  to  cut  out  past  Farr,"  Fred  groaned. 

But,  a  moment  later,  we  heard  more  barking;  and 
the  moose  came  tearing  back  round  to  the  north  side 
again. 

The  moose  had  not  seen  any  of  us  yet ;  for  Farr  was  not 
within  a  hundred  rods  of  him,  and  the  woods  were  thick. 
But  the  old  fellow  knew  that  something  wrong  was  going 
on.  We  could  see  his  great  ears  rising  at  each  fresh 
sound. 

Another  report  came  wafted  across  the  lake ;  and,  even 
before  the  sound  of  it  had  reached  us,  we  saw  the  moose 
plunge  into  the  water,  and  strike  off  diagonally  toward  the 
east  shore,  —  not  toward  the  islands. 

"  Now  go  for  him  1 "  cried  Fred. 


WE   GIVE   CHASE   IN   THE   BATEAU.  215 

We  both  pulled  hard.  The  bateau  ran  out  past  the 
island.'  Looking  over  our  shoulders,  we  could  see  the 
high  antlers,  and  just  a  hand-breadth  of  his  black  nose 
going  steadily  off  from  the  Point.  Faint  splashes  came 
to  our  ears. 

"  Steady,"  said  Fred.  "  He  has  got  a  good  mile  to 
go  to  get  to  the  other  shore.  We  are  all  right  for 
him." 

But  the  great  beast  swam  powerfully ;  and  he  kept  bear- 
ing away  to  the  southward.  Probably  he  had  sighted  our 
boat.  We  drove  the  bateau  along  at  a  right  jolly  rate ; 
but  we  did  not  gain  much.  The  moose  was  a  full  hun- 
dred rods  in  advance  of  us.  We  found  that  we  should 
have  to  put  out  our  strength,  and  settled  down  to  it,  for  a 
regular  heat.  We  were  earning  the  game.  For  the  first 
quarter  of  a  mile  we  had  not  perceptibly  gained  a  rod. 
Then  we  buckled  down  to  it ;  and,  the  next  time  Fred 
looked,  he  said  we  were  nearing  him. 

But  we  neared  very  slowly ;  and  if  the  creature  had  not 
kept  sheering  off  from  us,  thus  giving  himself  farther  to 
swim,  the  chances  are  that  he  would  have  got  away.  But 
he  tired  himself  down  at  length ;  and,  after  the  first  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile,  we  began  to  close  up  with  him.  The 
hundred  rods  shrank  to  fifty,  and  this  distance  to  twenty, 
while  yet  he  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  south-east 
shore. 

"  Keep  at  it,"  Fred  exhorted  me ;  for  I  was  getting 
nearly  as  badly  blown  as  the  moose  himself. 


2l6  A    GALLANT   STRUGGLE    FOR    LIFE. 

"  His  head  keeps  going  under  water,"  Fred  said  to  me. 

I  expect  this  was  from  the  great  weight  of  his  ant- 
lers. 

Fred  would  not  stop  to  fire  till  we  were  close  up  to  the 
creature,  lest  we.  might  miss,  and  allow  him  to  get  the  start. 
It  was  not  till  we  were  so  near  that  I  could  distinctly  hear 
the  labored  breath  of  the  animal,  that  my  comrade  pulled 


FRED  AIMED  AT  THE   BACK   OF  THE   MOOSE'S   HEAD. 

in  his  oars,  and  seized  one  of  the  muskets.  I  stopped 
rowing  to  see  the  shot.  Fred  aimed  at  the  back  of  the 
moose's  head.  At  the  report,  he  jumped  in  the  water,  with 
a  loud  grunt  that  threw  the  spray  in  two  jets  from  out  his 
nostrils.  Then  he  sank  partially,  but  rose,  and  swam 
again.  I  caught  up  the  oars.  Fred  took  up  the  double- 
barrelled  gun  and  shot  it  twice  more.  One  of  these  bul- 


TOWING  A   MOOSE.  217 

lets,  as  we  afterwards  found,  passed  through  his  head  com- 
pletely. 

We  were  now  close  upon  him ;  but,  not  knowing  whether 
he  was  dead  or  not,  we  did  not  dare  to  approach  too  near. 
He  had  ceased  to  swim,  and,  as  we  watched,  sank  down  so 
far,  that  even  his  antlers  went  nearly  out  of  sight. 

"  He's  dead,  I  know,"  Fred  said  ;  "  and,  if  we  don't  take 
him,  he  will  sink  to  the  bottom,  and  we  shall  lose  him." 

With  a  couple  of  strokes,  I  sent  the  bateau  close  upon 
him ;  and  Fred  caught  hold  of  the  top  prongs  of  the  antlers. 

He  said  that  even  then  he  could  feel  a  thrill  of  his  ex- 
piring life  through  them. 

We  drew  the  carcass  up  to  the  stern ;  and,  getting  a 
noose  about  the  antlers  with  our  tow-line,  drew  his  head 
entirely  above  water,  and  made  it  fast  to  the  ring. 

We  then  took  breath. 

We  had  got  our  moose  ;  but  we  had  not  got  him  home  by 
any  manner  of  means,  as  we  soon  began  to  realize ;  for, 
on  taking  the  oars  for  our  return  pull,  we  found  that  the 
carcass  towed  unconscionably  hard.  Fred  declared  that 
it  was  like  towing  a  raft  of  logs.  It  seemed  to  me  like  a 
ship  dragging  her  anchor.  There  was  no  help  for  it  either, 
unless  we  cut  loose  from  him  altogether,  and  that  we  did  not 
want  to  do.  At  best,  we  could  only  move  at  a  snail-pace  ; 
and  the  labor  was  so  fatiguing,  coming  as  it  did  on  the  end 
of  our  race  down  the  lake,  that  we  were  obliged  to  rest  at 
intervals  of  ten  minutes. 

Some  idea  of  the  task  we  had  to  tow  the  carcass  up  to 


2l8  ITS   MEASUREMENT  AND   WEIGHT. 

camp  will  be  obtained,  when  I  state  that  we  were  from  a 
few  minutes  after  eleven  till  near  four  o'clock  getting  back 
with  it.  Even  after  entering  the  stream,  the  hoofs  dragged 
on  the  bottom.  It  took  in  water,  too,  and  was  tremen- 
dously distended. 

Farr  had  seen  the  chase  from  Indian  Point:  he  had 
watched,  and  saw  us  kill  the  moose.  Scott  and  he  had 
long  been  expecting  us.  But  when  they  came  to  help  us 
pull  him  out  of  the  water,  they  did  not  wonder  at  our  slow- 
ness. All  four  of  us  had  hard  work  to  get  the  carcass  out 
of  the  stream  upon  the  bank. 

The  antlers  of  this  moose  were  two  feet  and  seven  inches 
high  as  they  grew  out  of  the  skull.  There  were  two  main 
branches,  with  eight  minor  branches,  or  prongs. 

The  entire  length  of  his  body  was  eight  feet  four  inches  ; 
the  height,  to  the  tops  of  his  withers,  six  feet  five ;  the  girth 
just  back  of  his  fore  shoulders,  six  feet  six  inches  (about). 

His  chest  was  exceedingly  broad  and  heavy ;  his  muffle 
very  long  and  flexible. 

It  took  but  a  slight  knock  of  the  axe  to  detach  the  ant- 
lers from  the  skull.  It  was  getting  toward  the  season  of 
the  year  (December)  when  moose  shed  their  antlers. 

It  is  said  that  moose  frequently  knock  off  their  antlers 
while  running  through  the  woods ;  and  that,  to  cure  the 
soreness  of  the  exposed  wound,  they  rub  the  firs  to  apply 
the  balsam. 

On  one  of  the  old  axe-helves  I  found  a  two-foot  meas- 
ure laid  off,  with  brass  tack-nails  driven  into  it.  This  I 


FACTS   ABOUT  THE  ANIMAL.  2 19 

found  useful  in  determining  my  measurements  with  the 
tow-line. 

So  exhausted  had  Fred  and  I  become  with  our  labor, 
hunting  this  moose,  that  we  did  nothing  more  for  that  day. 

Farr  and  Scott  skinned  him,  and  afterwards  hung  up  the 
best  parts  of  the  meat  inside  our  log-fort. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Moose  Steaks.  — The  "Cannucks"  Come  Round  during  the  Morning 
Watch.  — Their  Tracks.  — We  Catch  Sight  of  the  Little  Rifle  in 
Their  Hands,  and  are  Strongly  Tempted  to  Fire  on  Them  with 
Bullets.  — Two  "Doses  "  of  Bird  Shot  — A  Lively  Scampering.— 
Clearing  the  Marten  Traps.— A  Prowler  of  a  Different  Sort.— 
A  "  Close  Shave."  —  Farr's  "  Streak  o'  Goose-Grease." 

r  I  iHE  snow  melted  somewhat  during  the  afternoon ; 
^L  but,  as  night  came  on,  the  wind  grew  very  chilling, 
and  it  began  to  freeze. 

Farr  and  Scott  moved  the  stove  into  the  shed,  cutting  a 
hole  through  the  roof  for  the  rusty  old  funnel ;  and,  in 
order  to  make  our  position  as  cosey  as  possible,  they 
brought  an  immense  mass  of  the  long  fan-like  boughs, 
from  the  green  tops  of  the  spruces  we  had  felled,  and  fairly 
overlaid  our  shed  with  it,  shingling  them  on  to  the  depth 
of  several  feet 

For  supper,  we  had  all  we  wanted  of  the  moose  sirloin, 
with  roasted  potatoes  and  "Horsfords."  The  "Can- 
nucks  "  had  not  used  any  of  the  bread  preparation.  Very 
likely  they  did  not  know  what  it  was. 

The  morning  following,  Fred  had  the  watch  from  half 


THE  CANNUCKS   COME   ROUND.  221 

past  three  till  six ;  and,  at  a  few  minutes  before  the  time 
we  generally  got  up,  he  waked  us,  bidding  us  be  quiet  and 
come  out  without  noise. 

It  was  just  beginning  to  get  light  a  little.  We  crept 
out.  Fred  was  on  his  knees,  looking  through  a  chink  in 
the  fence  on  the  side  next  the  river.  I  knew  there  was 
something  in  sight. 

"What  is  it?"  Farr  whispered. 

"  '  Cannucks,'  "  Fred  whispered  back. 

That  was  a  word  that  rendered  us  broad  awake  on  the 
moment.  We  crept  along,  and  applied  our  eyes  to  the 
chink. 

"Where?  "queried  Scott. 

"  Look  straight  across  the  stream.  About  three  rods 
from  the  bank.  Right  behind  that  big  fir,"  Fred  directed. 
"  See  him  ? " 

We  looked  attentively,  anxiously;  yet  it  was  not  at 
once,  in  the  dim  dawn,  that  I  made  out  that  there  was  a 
man  standing  behind  the  fir,  with  just  a  segment  of  his  face 
visible,  peeping  from  behind  the  trunk.  And  it  took  Scott 
and  Farr  even  longer  to  make  him  out. 

"Only  one?"  I  said. 

"  That's  all  the  one  I've  seen  yet,"  Fred  said.  "  The 
others  may  be  back  in  the  woods,  waiting,  while  he  recon- 
noitres." 

"  How  long  has  he  been  standing  there  ? "  whispered 
Farr. 

"  About  ten  minutes,"  Fred  said. 


222  THE   PET   RIFLE   IN   THEIR    HANDS. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  came  to  see  him  at  all,"  said 
Scott. 

"  In  the  first  place  I  heard  a  stick  snap  off  over  there," 
Fred  explained  hurriedly.  "That  set  me  to  looking. 
And  a  minute  after  I  saw  this  chap  steal  along  to  this  fir. 
They  are  watching  for  a  chance  to  pounce  on  us." 

"  Best  to  fire  on  them  ? "  Farr  questioned. 
•  "  I  should  not  want  to  kill  him,"  said  Scott. 

"No:  we  don't  want  their  dirty  blood  on  our  hands," 
Fred  said.  "  But  it  would  be  well  to  fire  and  scare  him : 
let  him  know  he  cannot  surprise  us,  and  that  we  are  up  to 
all  their  tricks." 

"  The  old  double-barrel's  loaded  for  partridges,"  whis- 
pered Farr.  "  The  shot  would  not  hurt  anybody  at  that 
distance." 

"  Bring  it  on,"  said  Fred,  grinning. 

Back  crept  Farr  after  the  gun. 

It  was  growing  lighter.  We  saw  the  concealed  prowler 
turn  and  beckon  with  his  hand,  and  immediately  another 
figure  came  stealing  cautiously  forward  from  a  tree  a  little 
farther  off.  Then  they  both  got  on  their  hands  and  knees, 
and  crept  cautiously  forward  into  a  clump  of  alders  not  a 
rod  from  the  river.  In  the  increasing  light,  I  distinctly 
saw  a  silvery  gleam  from  the  nickel-plating  on  the  skeleton 
stock  of  the  little  rifle.  Fred  saw  it,  too,  and  nudged  me. 

"  By  jove !  I  believe  I  could  pick  him  from  here  with 
this  musket,"  Fred  whispered,  "  and  stop  that  rifle  from 
going  away  again  1 " 


TWO  "DOSES"  OF  BIRD-SHOT.  223 

It  was  a  temptation.  The  sight  of  our  little  "  pet"  in 
their  hands  made  us  feel  revenegful. 

"They  would  shoot  us  with  it  in  a  moment,  if  they 
could,"  Fred  said. 

Farr  came  back  with  his  shot-gun. 

"  They've  got  our  little  rifle  there,"  Fred  whispered. 

"  The  thieves,"  muttered  Farr,  after  an  indignant  look. 
"  Let's  give  them  bullets  !  " 

But  we  could  not  bring  ourselves  to  do  that. 

"No,"  Fred  whispered.  "We'll  shed  no  blood,  unless 
we  are  obliged  to  do  it  in  self-defence.  That's  the  best 
rule  to  go  by.  It  would  be  a  bad  thing  to  have  to  think 
of  afterwards." 

The  two  "  Cannucks  "  were  still  crouching  there  in  the 
alder  clump.  The  distance  was  ten  or  twelve  rods.  We 
knew  the  bird-shot  would  not  hurt  them. 

"  Let  it  squirt  at  them,"  Fred  whispered. 

Farr  cocked  the  barrels  as  easily  as  possible  ;  then,  just 
resting  the  muzzles  in  the  chink,  took  aim,  and  discharged 
a  barrel. 

The  flash  and  the  sharp  report  broke  the  early  morning 
quiet  with  startling  suddenness.  Instantly  the  two  "  Can- 
nucks "  jumped  out  of  the  alders  and  ran.  We  heard  the 
oaths  flying  out  of  their  mouths.  Before  they  had  got  ten 
yards,  Farr  fired  again ;  and  Fred,  pointing  the  old  mus- 
ket in  the  air,  discharged  that.  We  heard  them  heeling 
it  off  at  a  great  pace  through  the  brush. 

It  was  vastly  laughable.    We  lay  there,  and  shook  our- 


224  CLEARING   THE    MARTEN   TRAPS. 

selves.  We  did  not  know  whether  they  were  really  medi- 
tating an  attack  on  our  camp,  or  had  merely  come  round 
to  steal  the  bateau,  which  lay  in  the  stream  at  the  foot  of 
the  knoll.  In  either  case,  they  got  pretty  thoroughly 
frightened. 

"  They  won't  be  seen  round  here  again  to-day,"  said 
Fred.  "  It  will  take  them  about  forty-eight  hours,  I  reckon, 
to  get  their  courage  sworn  up  to  the  fighting  point  again. 
They  will  have  to  swear  over  their  whole  vocabulary  of 
profanity  and  obscenity,  and  add  a  few  new  oaths  to  it, 
before  they  will  be  in  plight  to  come  round  again." 

That  day  Fred  and  I  went  the  round  of  the  saple-line 
and  the  traps  down  at  the  dam.  They  were  badly  filled 
with  snow.  We  had  a  stint  to  clear  them  out  and  set 
them  in  order. 

"Trapping  is  poor  business  after  snow  comes,"  Fred 
kept  saying.  "  The  sooner  we  give  it  up,  and  go  to  dig- 
ging gum,  the  better." 

There  was  one  marten  caught  near  the  south-west  cor- 
ner of  the  lake :  nothing  in  the  mink  traps  at  the  dam  or 
on  the  rapids  below. 

It  was  sunset  before  we  had  made  the  entire  round,  and 
got  back  to  camp.  The  snow  made  the  walking  more  than 
usually  difficult. 

Farr  had  been  down  to  the  muskrat  traps  in  the  cove. 
There  were  four  rats  caught.  Our  profits  that  day  were 
too  meagre  to  be  encouraging;  but  we  had  plenty  of 
moose-meat. 


A    PROWLER   OF   A    DIFFERENT   SORT.  22$ 

That  night  there  was  another  prowler  about,  of  a  differ- 
ent sort.  It  was  getting  dusk.  Farr  had  taken  the  pail 
lo  get  some  water  for  tea.  We  brought  our  water  from 
the  stream  at  the  foot  of  the  knoll,  where  the  bateau  was 
moored.  To  avoid  the  more  stagnant  water  near  the 
bank,  we  used  to  step  into  the  boat  and  dip  it  over  the 
side.  Farr  was  just  about  to  step  from  the  shore  into 
the  boat  with  the  pail,  when  a  snap  of  twigs  caught  his 
ear :  twigs  snapping  were  ominous  sounds  with  us  in  those 
days.  It  seemed  to  come  from  the  bank  a  little  above 
and  up  the  stream.  He  glanced  quickly,  hearing  the 
brush  crack,  and  saw  through  the  bushes,  indistinctly,  a 
long  black  object  stealing  down  toward  him ! 

With  a  yell  Farr  dropped  the  pail,  and  came  up  the 
knoll  "at  three  jumps,"  to  use  his  own  expression.  The 
rest  of  us  were  in  the  camp,  where  we  had  already  lighted 
the  basin-lamp ;  but,  hearing  the  outcry,  we  seized  our 
guns,  and  sprang  out,  just  in  time  to  see  Farr  dive  in  at 
the  "sheep-hole." 

Thinking  there  was  an  enemy  in  close  pursuit,  Fred  and 
I  leaped  to  drop  the  door ;  while  Scott  jumped  upon  the 
log  platform,  gun  in  hand. 

"  What  is  it ! "  Fred  cried  out,  cocking  his  gun,  and 
glancing  alarmedly  around. 

"  I  dunno  ! "  was  Farr's  lucid  explanation  ;  then  he  got 
up  on  the  log  platform  beside  Scott,  and  peered  excitedly 
over  the  fence. 

This  did  not  make  the  matter  very  plain  to  the  rest  of  us. 


226 


A    "CLOSE    SHAVE." 


Said  Fred,  "  I  should  like  to  know  what's  up,  anyway, 
Farr." 

"  Well,  I  guess  you'd  have  thought  something  was  up," 
said  Farr.  "  Didn't  you  see  him,  Scott  ? " 

"  I  thought  I  saw  something,"  Scott  admitted  ;  "  but  it 
darted  away  like  a  shot  " 


IN   TIME  TO   SEE  FARR  DIVE   IN   AT  THE   "  SHEEP-HOLE." 

"Well,  it  came  like  a  shot,  you'd  better  believe,"  says 
Farr.  "  The  first  I  saw  of  it,  it  was  crouching  almost  to 
the  ground,  and  coming  like  a  dart !  I  came  up  this  hill 
at  just  three  jumps,  and  the  thing  was  at  my  heels  when  I 
came  in  the  hole." 


PARK'S  "STREAK  OF  GOOSE-GREASE."  227 

"  But  what  did  it  look  like  ? "  asked  Fred,  getting  on  the 
log  platform,  and  glancing  sharply  about  the  camp. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  exactly.  It  was  long,  and  it  looked 
dark-colored ;  and  it  came  after  me  like  a  streak  o1  goose- 
grease  !  By  gracious !  another  foot,  and  it  would  have 
caught  me,  sure's  you  live  !  I  didn't  hear  its  feet  at  all ; " 
this  was  about  all  Farr  could  tell. 

"  What  did  you  think  it  looked  like,  Scott  ? "  persisted 
Fred. 

"  Why,  it  is  so  dusk,  I  could  not  see  very  well,"  said 
Scott.  "  It  went  out  of  sight  among  the  spruce-tops  so 
quick,  I  only  barely  got  one  glimpse  of  it." 

"  That  must  have  been  a  queer  animal,"  Fred  laughed. 

"'Twas  a  confounded  catamount!"  exclaimed  Farr: 
"  that's  what  it  was." 

"  Might  have  been,  possibly,"  Fred  said  rather  incredu- 
lously. "Wish  I  could  have  seen  it,  though." 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  could  1 "  cried  Farr,  who  did  not  quite 
like  the  humorous  view  of  the  chase  in  which  the  rest  of  us 
were  indulging.  "I  should  have  been  very  willing  to 
swap  places  with  you  just  at  that  time ;  and,  if  you've  a 
mind  to,  you  may  go  and  bring  that  pail  of  water." 

"  All  right,"  said  Fred,  and  went  and  brought  it. 

Farr  would  not  say  any  thing  more  about  it,  because  we 
laughed.  But  there  really  was  something  that  made  a 
dive  at  him.  What  it  was,  it  was  hard  telling.  As  Fred 
said,  it  might  have  been  a  panther  possibly ;  or  it  may 
have  been  a  large  and  ferocious  lynx,  such  as  are  some- 


228  MORE  CAUTIOUS  AFTER   NIGHTFALL. 

times  fallen  in  with  in  this  section.  After  snow  comes 
and  the  weather  gets  cold,  all  wild  creatures  are  more 
dangerous.  Ever  after  that  we  were  more  cautious  about 
going  out  after  nightfall ;  but  Farr's  "  streak  o'  goose- 
grease  "  was  always  a  pretty  good  joke. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


A  Muss. —Those  "Tea  Grounds."  — We  Take  up  Our  Muskrat 
Traps.  — An  Adventure  with  Three  Lynxes.  — A  Bad  Shot. — 
The  "  Old  Tom  "  Turns  upon  Us.  —  Scott  Takes  to  his  Heels.  — 
Treed. — An  Unpleasant  Predicament.  —  The  Bullet- Pouch  in  the 
Wrong  Pocket.  —  Two  Hours  in  a  Tree.  —  The  Rescue.  —  Shoot- 
ing the  "Varmints."  —  A  Good  Day's  Work. 


far,  like  the  four  animals  in  the  fable,  we  had 
.X.  lived  in  the  greatest  peace  and  harmony ;  but  the 
morning  after  this  adventure  we  had  a  regular  muss  in 
camp. 

Farr  was  cutting  wood,  and  bringing  it  into  the  camp, 
and  Scott  was  getting  ready  to  make  some  tea.  He  had 
poured  water  into  the  tea-pot,  and,  after  rinsing  it  about, 
stepped  to  the  doorway  to  throw  out  the  "  grounds  ; "  and 
he  threw  them,  water  and  all,  just  as  Farr  was  coming  in. 
The  whole  mess  splashed  in  his  face  and  all  over  him. 
Farr  thought  he  did  it  on  purpose :  he  dropped  the  wood, 
and  went  at  Scott  by  guess,  not  even  giving  him  time  to 
explain. 

They  clenched,  and  flew  round  there  at  a  great  rate; : 


230  THOSE  "TEA-GROUNDS." 

they  were  not  quite  angry,  but  pretty  near  it.  It  took 
Fred  and  I  both  to  pull  them  apart.  Farr  had  got  hold 
of  a  handful  of  the  grounds,  and  wanted  to  scrub  Scott's 
face  with  them.  It  was  a  cold  morning,  and  they  both 
felt  a  little  fractious.  The  fun  of  the  thing  afterwards  was, 
that  Scott  could  never  make  Farr  believe  that  he  did  not 
throw  those  "  grounds  "  on  purpose. 

That  day,  or  else  it  was  the  day  following,  we  took  up 
all  the  muskrat  traps.  For  several  nights  we  had  caught 
no  more  than  one  or  two.  We  let  the  mink  traps  remain, 
however,  and  determined  to  tend  the  "  saple-line  "  a  week 
longer. 

Our  other  traps  we  set  over  at  the  unknown  pond  we 
had  found  the  night  we  found  the  lynx.  These  we  visited 
every  second  day ;  and  it  was  while  returning  from  one  of 
these  rounds  that  Scott  and  I  had  a  lively  adventure  with 
some  lyxnes. 

We  had  been  round  the  pond,  and  were  coming  down 
the  north-east  side  of  it,  when  we  came  quite  suddenly 
upon  three  of  these  creatures  gnawing  the  bones  of  some 
animal.  It  was  among  brush  and  old  spruce-tops.  We 
were  within  ten  yards  of  them  before  we  saw  them.  They 
leaped  up  spitting  when  they  saw  us  ;  and  one  of  them,  a 
hideous-eyed  old  male,  began  to  yawl  and  miawl,  and  arch 
his  furry  back  at  us.  They  were  mad  at  being  disturbed 
while  eating. 

Scott  had  one  of  the  muskets,  and  instantly  cocked  it. 

"  Now  knock  the  eyes  right  out  of  the  big  one ! "  I  said. 


ADVENTURE  WITH  THREE  LYNXES.         231 

He  fired.  They  all  sang  out  loudly  at  the  report ;  and 
;hen  the  first  thing  we  saw  was  the  old  Tom  coming 
straight  for  us,  snarling  and  snubbling  like  a  dog  when  just 
going  to  join  battle  with  another.  The  musket  bullet  (as 
we  found  afterwards)  had  torn  one  of  his  ears  nearly  off. 

Scott  gave  a  warning  shout,  and  sprang  aside  amid  the 
brush,  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could.  For  my  own  part,  I 
dodged  behind  a  great  basswood  standing  there,  and 
jumped  to  a  small  white  maple  about  a  rod  off.  The  cat 
was  making  for  me,  with  his  back  up  and  his  neck  beauti- 
fully curved  under  and  on  to  one  side !  The  idea  of  a 
hand-to-hand  combat  with  all  three  of  them  was  not  pleas- 
ant. I  dropped  the  axe  I  had  in  one  hand,  and  shinned 
up  the  maple  at  my  best  rate  of  climbing !  It  was  not  a 
hard  tree  to  climb.  I  readily  gained  the  first  limbs,  and 
swung  one  leg  over  a  large  one,  —  not  much  too  quick 
either.  The  old  lynx,  maddened  by  the  pain  of  his  lacer- 
ated ear,  ran  vengefully  up  after  me,  his  great  claws  cutting 
audibly  into  the  bark,  and  showing  some  ugly  long  feline 
teeth.  No  time  for  reflection !  I  drew  up  my  legs  as 
snugly  as  possible,  and,  when  the  beast  got  within  reach, 
kicked  down  with  emphasis.  The  heavy  boot-heel,  armed 
with  iron  "  buttons,"  gave  a  hard  poke,  full  on  the  crea- 
ture's head.  It  relaxed  its  hold  a  little,  slipped  back  a  few 
feet,  and  then  went  sliding  and  growling,  with  its  claws 
tearing  through  the  bark,  to  the  foot  of  the  maple  again. 

I  expected  another  onset  next  breath,  and  drew  up  my 
foot  for  another  kick.  But  the  old  brute  contented  himself 


232 


AN    UNPLEASANT    PREDICAMENT. 


by  setting  down,  as  did  also  the  other  two,  and  staring 
evilly  up  at  me  out  of  their  great  silvery  eyes  ! 

The  thought  of  tumbling  down  amongst  them  was  not  a 
relishable  one.     I  watched  them  a  few  moments,  and  then 


UNDER  THE  TREE   HERE. 

hallooed  for  Scott,  who  I  thought  ought  by  this  time  to  be 
putting  in  an  appearance  with  the  gun. 

"  Here  I  am,  — out  here  !  "  responded  my  comrade,  at  a 
distance.  "  Where  are  the  varmints  !  " 

"  Under  the  tree  here,  all  three  of  them,  looking  up  at 


THE   BULLET-POUCH   IN   THE   WRONG   POCKET.         233 

me.  Why  don't  you  come  and  shoot  'em?  —  you're  a 
pretty  fellow  to  shoot  a  lucivee  ! "  I  couldn't  help  flinging 
out  at  him. 

"  Why  don't  I  come  and  shoot  'em ! "  repeated  Scott 
derisively.  "  How  can  I  come  and  shoot  them  when  you've 
got  the  bullets  ? " 

Sure  enough,  the  little  leather  pouch  of  bullets  was  in 
my  pocket,  instead  of  his  ! 

An  embarrassing  pause  succeeded  this  discovery. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ? "  said  I,  at  length. 

"  I'm  sure,  I  don't  know,"  answered  Scott. 

There  was  another  pause. 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Scott ! "  said  I,  after  some  thought.  "  You 
begin  and  creep  up  still,  through  the  brush  ;  and  I  will 
throw  the  pouch  out  to  you.  I  can  throw  it  thirty  or  forty 
yards  off  over  their  heads.  You  will  see  and  hear  it  when 
it  falls ;  then  you  can  creep  up  siy,  and  get  it." 

"  Not  if  I  know  myself !  "  cried  Scott,  at  once  rejecting 
this  proposal.  "  They'll  see  me  and  take  a(  me  !  Then  / 
shall  have  to  climb  a  tree." 

"  But  you  really  ought  to  do  something  for  a  fellow," 
said  I  rather  injuredly. 

"  I  know  that,"  said  Scott ;  "  and  the  only  thing  to  be 
done  is  to  go  back  to  camp  and  get  some  more  balls  or 
shot." 

"  Well,  do  go  as  quick  as  you  can,  and  get  Fred,"  I 
exhorted.  "  It's  rather  hard  roosting  up  here." 

He  went  away ;  and  I  settled  myself  as  best  I  could 


234  SHOOTING   THE    "VARMINTS." 

among  the  limbs.  But  it  was  hard  roosting :  it  was  not  a 
good  tree  to  roost  in.  The  branches  left  the  main  trunk 
at  a  very  acute  angle.  It  grew  fearfully  tiresome  holding 
on  up  there.  I  hoped  the  cats  would  go  away.  If  I  kept 
quiet,  I  presumed  they  would  go  back  to  the  carcass, 
where  we  had  disturbed  them  ;  and  one  of  them  did 
go  back.  Presently  I  heard  it  gnawing  the  bones.  But 
the  other  two  kept  under  the  tree,  and  stared  steadily  up 
at  me.  The  old  male  that  Scott  had  hit  continued  to  flip 
his  wounded  ear,  and  grumble  bitterly  to  himself.  The 
pain  was  just  enough  to  keep  him  angry. 

It  was  getting  dusk ;  Scott  had  been  gone  almost  two 
hours  ;  and  I  was  nearly  paralyzed  in  my  cramped  and 
tiresome  perch,  when  I  heard  Fred  call  out  cautiously,  and 
at  some  distance. 

I  thankfully  responded. 

"  I'm  coming.'*  said  he.  "  We've  got  three  guns  loaded 
with  buckshot.  I'll  fix  'em  now." 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  pepper  them  good  ;  but  don't  shoot  into 
the  tree." 

Very  cautiously  he  made  his  way  from  one  tree  trunk 
to  another,  till  he  got  up  within  sight  and  range  of  the 
lynxes ;  then,  crouching  behind  a  log,  cocked  one  gun  and 
laid  it  beside  him  ready,  and,  taking  careful  aim  with  the 
other,  fired  both  barrels  at  once.  A  squall  from  the  "  luci- 
vees  "  followed  the  report.  They  leaped  up,  as  the  large 
shot  cut  through  their  hides.  The  next  moment  Scott 
fired  at  them,  —  a  good  shot.  The  old  male  dropped  ;  the 


A  GOOD  DAY'S  WORK.  235 

other  was  leaping  about,  miawling  loudly.  I  began  to 
slide  down  the  tree ;  and  Fred,  running  up,  knocked  the 
wounded  lynx  on  the  head  with  the  gun-stock. 

The  other  one  had  skulked  off  at  the  noise  of  the  firing. 
So  rigid  had  my  joints  become  from  holding  on  so  long, 
that  I  could  scarcely  step  for  some  minutes. 

We  skinned  the  two  lynxes.  The  carcass  of  the  anima» 
they  had  been  eating  when  we  came  upon  them  seemed, 
from  the  black  hair  of  the  bits  of  skin  that  lay  about  with 
the  bones,  to  have  been  that  of  a  small  bear.  Whether  it 
had  died  of  itself,  or  the  lynxes  had  killed  it,  we  could  not 
tell.  We  had  never  heard  of  these  animals  attacking  a 
bear.  Still  it  is  not  impossible  that  they  may  have  done 
so.  The  old  male  was  very  large  and  fierce. 

His  skin  brought  us  seven  dollars ;  that  of  the  smaller 
one  four  dollars.  We  deemed  that  a  pretty  good  day's 
work,  on  the  whole. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


An  Indian  Summer.  —  Three  more  Martens  and  an  Otter.  —  Gum- 
ming in  Good  Earnest  —  Fred  Fails  to  Come  in.  —  We  Eat  Supper 
in  Considerable  Anxiety. — A  Gun  is  Fired. — It  Comes  on  to  Storm. 
—  We  Search  for  him  with  Torches.  —  An  Anxious  Night.  —  We 
again  Scour  the  Woods  in  vain.  —  Gloom.  —  Forebodings.  —  Fred 
Comes  in  Fevered  and  Wild  in  his  Mind.  —  His  Thrilling  Story. 


f  I  THERE  came  a  number  of  warm  and  sunny  days  at 
JL  this  time.  The  snow  nearly  all  went  off. 

We  caught  three  more  martens  and  two  minks  ;  and,  the 
fourth  day  after  our  adventure  over  at  the  pond,  Fred 
brought  in  an  otter  caught  in  one  of  the  traps  there. 

Now,  an  otter  had  been  one  of  our  fairest  dreams,  and 
we  felt  a  good  deal  elated.  We  expected  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  dollars  for  the  skin,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  did 
get  eleven  dollars  for  it. 

Fred  came  in,  and  threw  it  down  without  a  word.  Scott 
had  never  seen  an  otter.  We  made  him  believe  it  was  a 
panther's  kitten  at  first,  till  he  got  sight  of  its  webbed 
toes. 

The  color  of  this  otter  seemed,  at  first  sight,  a  deep 


GUMMING   IN   GOOD   EARNEST.  237 

wine-color;  but,  on  opening  the  long  outer  hairs,  the  fir 
was  seen  to  be  of  a  lighter  tint. 

Fred  skinned  and  stretched  it  very  carefully. 

Its  black  ears  were  very  short,  but  broad ;  and  its  nose 
was  very  broad,  or  blunt.  Its  tail  was  long,  and  very  thick 
at  the  base,  but  tapered  to  a  point.  The  fur  of  the  tail, 
as  also  of  the  whole  body,  was  very  rich-tinted  and  glossy. 

The  entire  weight  of  the  animal  may  have  been  thirty 
pounds :  at  a  guess,  not  less  than  that  It  was  not,  we 
thought,  a  very  large  individual. 

Encouraged  by  this  success,  we  carried  over  seven  or 
eight  more  of  the  traps,  and  set  them  around  the  pond ; 
and  Farr  and  Fred  set  the  large  trap  over  in  the  "  bear- 
path,"  where  we  had  caught  the  lynx. 

Once  the  snow  had  come,  we  had  noticed  many  tracks 
here ;  indeed,  the  forest  was  full  of  tracks.  If  one  had 
judged  from  the  tracks  alone,  he  would  have  supposed  that 
the  woods  were  alive  with  ferocious  beasts ;  for  many  of 
the  tracks  had  a  most  formidable  appearance.  In  running 
through  snow,  the  lynx  often  takes  eight  and  ten  feet  at  a 
jump,  and,  striking  all  its  feet  together,  makes  the  snow 
fly  about  smartly. 

During  this  Indian  summer  weather  we  had  begun  to 
dig  gum  in  good  earnest.  The  woods  on  both  sides  of 
the  lake  offered  plenty  of  gum  for  the  digging.  More 
than  half  of  all  the  trees  were  spruces.  It  did  not  take 
long  to  hunt  up  one  with  gum  on  it 

Leaving  a  man  to  guard  camp  (we  did  not  omit  that 


238  MORE    PROFITABLE   THAN   TRAPPING. 

duty),  three  of  us  would  sally  out  with  our  guns,  gumming- 
knives,  hatchet,  and  the  sacks  we  had  contrived  to  put  the 
gum  in,  and  work  steadily  for  five  and  six  hours  at  a 
stretch.  It  is  not  so  exciting  a  business  as  trapping ;  yet 
it  is  as  pleasant,  and,  judging  from  our  experience,  far 
more  profitable. 

Spruce  gum,  when  of  good  quality,  sells  readily  for  a 
fair  price  in  all  our  New-England  cities.  If  a  party  of 
young  fellows  have  only  the  "  grit "  to  endure  the  hardship 
and  rough  life  of  the  woods,  they  can  do  a  very  fair 
business  at  gumming  round  Parmachenee  Lake.  Of  this 
fact  I  am  confident.  If  they  are  diligent,  they  can  safely 
expect  to  clear  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  day. 

If  we  had  gone  into  gumming  in  the  first  place,  instead 
of  trapping,  we  should  have  made  double  that  we  did. 
Gumming  is  a  business  you  can  safely  count  on  from  day 
to  day.  Trapping  is  just  the  reverse  of  ftiis. 

For  a  while  we  used  to  keep  together  as  we  gummed,  and 
always  laid  our  guns  convenient.  But  as  day  after  day 
went  by  without  our  seeing  or  hearing  any  thing  more  of 
the  "  Cannucks,"  we  grew  less  cautious.  We  hoped  and 
began  to  believe  that  they  had  left  the  vicinity,  and  that  we 
should  see  nothing  more  of  them.  To  carry  a  gun  round 
with  one  constantly  is  a  great  task.  At  length  we  would 
take  but  one  gun  and  the  revolver,  and  take  turns  carrying 
the  gun ;  and  after  a  time  we  would  get  strayed  apart. 
In  such  a  business  as  digging  gum  it  is  very  difficult  for 
three  to  keep  close  together  all  the  time.  Often  we  would 


FRED    FAILS   TO   COME    IN.  239 

lose  sight  of  one  another  altogether,  and,  after  filling  our 
sacks,  return  to  camp  alone  and  at  different  times  in  the 
afternoon. 

We  had  been  gumming  in  this  way  for  a  week  or 
upwards,  when  an  event  happened  that  threw  a  sad  gloom 
over  us  for  many  days,  and  showed  us  the  necessity  of 
constant  care  and  precaution. 

On  the  morning  in  question,  Farr  had  remained  to  guard 
the  camp ;  and  Fred,  with  Scott  and  myself,  had  gone  over 
to  the  east  side  of.  the  lake  toward  Moose  Brook ;  and  my 
own  luck  in  finding  good  trees  being  unusually  bad,  I  did 
not  get  back  to  camp  till  near  dusk. 

Scott  had  got  in  an  hour  and  a  half  ahead  of  me.  He 
and  Farr  had  supper  ready  and  were  waiting,  and  had  been 
looking  for  Fred  and  myself :  they  thought  we  might  be 
together. 

"  Where's  Fred  ? "  was  therefore  the  question  with  which 
they  greeted  me. 

I  had  not  seen  him  since  a  few  minutes  after  starting 
out  in  the  morning.  No  more  had  Scott,  and  Scott  had 
carried  the  gun  that  day  too :  I  had  the  pistol. 

Still  we  supposed  he  would  be  in  before  long ;  and,  dig- 
ging open  the  "bean-hole,"  pulled  out  the  kettle  of  hot 
baked  beans,  and  fell  to  work  with  prodigious  appetites. 

Meanwhile  it  was  growing  dark  rapidly.  A  chill,  biting 
wind  blew  from  the  north-east.  It  was  overcast  and 
dreary.  , 

Presently  Scott  started  up,  exclaiming,  "  Fellows,  I'm 


240  A   GUN    IS    FIRED. 

worried  about  Fred  !  It's  been  in  my  head  all  day  that 
something  was  going  wrong  with  some  of  us.  I  don't  see 
where  he  is  all  this  time  !  " 

We  all  felt  pretty  anxious.  To  be  out  after  dark  in  the 
wilderness  there  was  not  safe. 

"  I  guess  we  had  better  fire  a  gun,"  said  Farr. 

Our  supply  of  ammunition  was  very  scant.  Scott  drew 
the  shot  from  one  barrel  of  one  of  the  shot-guns,  and  care- 
fully put  it  back  into  the  pouch ;  then,  stepping  out  in 
front  of  the  log  shanty,  he  discharged  it. 

Farr  and  I  listened  intently.  Save  the  quick,  smothered 
echo,  and  the  surge  of  the  wind  amid  the  tree-tops,  there 
was  no  response.  Then  we  hallooed  repeatedly;  then 
discharged  the  second  barrel  of  the  gun. 

"He  may  have  heard  it,"  said  Scott.  "If  he  did.  he 
will  come  in.  We  will  wait  a  while  and  see." 

We  waited  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  ;  he  did  not  come :  we 
grew  really  alarmed. 

"  There's  something  wrong  with  him,"  said  Scott ;  a 
chill  fell  upon  us  standing  there. 

"Fred  isn't  a  fellow  to  stay  off  like  this,"  Farr  remarked. 
"  He's  either  lost,  or  something's  caught  him." 

We  thought  of  the  "  Cannucks." 

"  If  he  is  lost,  we  must  hunt  him  up  if  we  can,"  said 
Scott  determinedly.  "  It's  no  more  than  he  would  do  for 
any  of  us." 

By  this  time  it  had  grown  dark,  —  the  darkness  of  a 
cloudy  night.  Farr  split  up  an  armful  of  pitch-wood 


A   SEARCH   WITH   TORCHES.  241 

splints  ;  Scott  recharged  the  gun ;  I  looked  to  the  fire,  and 
took  one  of  the  muskets.  We  then  crossed  the  stream, 
and,  lighting  two  of  the  pitch-wood  torches,  entered  the 
woods,  taking  the  direction  we  had  gone  in  the  morning. 

But  it  was  blind  work,  picking  our  way  among  and  over 
windfalls.  Once  I  espied  a  marten  staring  at  us  from  a 
mossy  rock  ;  but  it  vanished  ere  I  could  raise  the  gun. 

A  lynx  saluted  us  with  a  long  yawl  at  a  little  distance  ; 
but  more  dismal  and  annoying  still  were  the  hoots  and 
tu-hoos  of  a  couple  of  owls,  that  were  attracted  by  our 
torch-light,  and  pursued  us,  circling  and  flapping  among 
the  fir-tops. 

It  began  to  spit  snow,  —  snow  and  sleet  commingled. 
We  kept  on,  however,  for  a  mile  or  over,  till  we  reached 
the  height  of  land  where  the  heavy  spruce  growth  takes  the 
place  of  the  firs.  Here  we  stopped,  and  hallooed  again 
and  again ;  but  the  owls  replied  so  provokingly  that  we 
could  have  heard  nothing  else.  Scott  fired  at  one  of  them, 
but  missed  it  in  the  darkness.  The  sleet,  too,  made  a  dull, 
continuous  rattling,  as  it  fell  through  the  branches. 

It  was  of  little  use  to  search  for  him  at  that  time  of 
night.  Our  splints  were  already  more  than  half  burned. 
We  went  back :  we  were  obliged  to  do  it.  The  wind  was 
cold,  and  the  sleet  pelted  hard :  it  seemed  as  if  winter  was 
coming  on. 

I  remember  that  we  scarcely  spoke.  Our  fears  for 
Fred  filled  us  with  a  strange  gloom.  We  sat  round  the 
stove.  Not  one  of  us  closed  his  eyes  that  night 


2  42  GLOOM. FOREBODINGS. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light  we  ate  a  few  mouthfuls  and  set 
off.  The  whole  forest  looked  snowy  and  odd  in  the  gray 
light  of  that  cloudy  morning.  There  had  fallen  about  an 
inch  of  snow  and  hail :  it  was  slippery  walking.  We  hur- 
ried forward,  however,  and  went  over  the  whole  ground 
where  we  had  gummed  the  previous  day. 

We  had  taken  our  guns,  and  did  not  get  out  of  sight  of 
one  another ;  for  the  forest  seemed  fearfully  wild  and 
savage  now  that  Fred  had  disappeared  within  it. 

But  we  found  nothing,  and  saw  no  trace  or  track  of 
him  ;  half  hoping  that  he  had  come  in,  and  that  we  should 
find  him  at  the  camp,  we  went  back  to  it  at  noon. 

He  was  not  there. 

In  the  afternoon  we  set  off  to  make  a  wider  circuit ;  and, 
almost  running  in  our  anxiety,  we  kept  on  for  as  much  as 
seven  miles  to  the  south-east,  and  came  round  to  the  east 
and  north,  —  in  all  twenty  miles,  without  doubt. 

We  hallooed  at  intervals,  and  fired  the  gun  several 
times,  quite  in  vain.  We  did  not  find  a  trace  of  him. 

"We  shall  never  know  what  has  become  of  him,"  said 
Scott. 

The  tears  would  come  when  we  thought  of  that. 

It  was  dusk  before  we  got  round  to  the  camp ;  for  we 
came  near  losing  our  way  ourselves. 

It  was  a  sad  thing  to  feel  that  we  had  done  our  best,  and 
yet  done  nothing  to  bring  him  back. 

Too  sorrowful  to  eat  much,  we  sat  looking  gloomily  off 
into  the  darkening  woods,  when  the  cracking  of  the  brush 


FRED    COMES    IN,  WILD    IN    HIS    MIND. 


243 


made  us  start.  Through  the  fallen  spruce-tops,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  camp,  something  —  a  person — was  com- 
ing at  a  headlong  pace. 

"  It's  Fred  —  or  his  ghost !  "  cried  Scott. 


"  FELLOWS,    I'VE   BEEN    MORE  THAN   TWO   HUNDRED   MILES  ! " 

We  all  ran  out  and  called  to  him,  as  he  rushed,  or  rather 
staggered,  toward  the  camp.  A  sick  thrill  went  through 
me  as  I  looked  at  him.  His  clothes  were  torn.  He 
looked  wild  and  haggard.  His  eyes  were  blood-shot ;  and 


244  A   THRILLING    STORY. 

he  cried  out  in  a  strange  voice,  "  Fellows,  I've  been  more 
than  two  hundred  miles  /" 

Then  he  threw  himself  flat  on  the  ground,  and  sobbed 
and  cried  like  a  child.  I  took  his  hand,  and  put  my  finger 
on  his  pulse.  It  was  fearfully  quick.  His  flest  burned. 
He  was  on  the  verge  of  brain-fever. 

We  said  not  a  word  to  him,  but  took  him  up  and  laid  him 
in  the  bunk.  Then  Scott  got  lukewarm  water,  and  we 
washed  his  feet,  the  bottoms  of  which  were  blistered  and 
raw.  After  that  we  bathed  his  head  in  cold  water,  and 
washed  his  hands. 

He  was  utterly  exhausted,  and  in  about  an  hour  dropped 
asleep;  but  kicked  and  muttered  a  good  deal. 

We  watched  him  a  while,  then  fell  asleep  ourselves,  for 
we  were  thoroughly  fatigued. 

Next  morning  Fred  was  calmer,  but  pitifully  pale  and 
hollow-eyed.  We  got  him  a  warm  breakfast  of  roast  pota- 
toes and  toasted  biscuit,  and  made  him  some  tea.  The 
food  did  him  good ;  and  he  began  to  talk,  though  he  could 
hardly  speak  of  his  hardships  without  shedding  tears. 

His  account  to  us  was  like  this :  — 

"  I  kept  gumming,  and  going  from  tree  to  tree  that  morn- 
ing, till  I  had  dug  my  sackful,  and  thought,  from  my  feel- 
ings, that  it  must  be  afternoon.  It  had  come  on  cloudy. 
But  I  had  not  felt  '  turned  round,'  nor  any  thing  of  the 
sort,  till  I  started  to  come  back  to  camp.  Then,  all  at 
once,  it  came  upon  me  like  a  whirl,  and  for  my  life  I 
could  not  tell  which  way  to  go !  It  startled  me  a  good 


GOING   WRONG.  245 

deal ;  but  I  kept  cool.  I  laid  down  my  gum-sack  and 
hatchet,  and  climbed  a  yellow  birch  to  the  first  limbs, 
about  twenty-five  feet,  to  take  a  look  off.  I  was  not  fairly 
up  above  the  spruce-tops ;  but  I  saw  a  mountain,  that  I 
took  for  old  Bose-buck,  across  the  lake.  So  I  broke  a 
limb  on  the  side  next  to  it,  and  then  slid  down,  took  up 
my  sack  and  hatchet,  and  set  off  in  that  direction.  I 
wasn't  much  uneasy :  I  thought  I  was  all  right.  I  walked 
pretty  fast,  and  after  a  while  began  to  wonder  why  I  did 
not  come  out  at  the  shore  of  the  lake.  But  I  kept  on  for 
as  much  as  fifteen  minutes  longer,  with  no  signs  of  com- 
ing to  the  water. 

"  Then  I  knew  that  I  must  be  going  wrong :  the  woods, 
too,  looked  different  from  that  round  the  lake.  I  began 
to  grow  bewildered  again,  and  climbed  a  white  maple 
almost  to  the  top.  Not  a  sign  could  I  see  of  a  mountain 
anywhere,  nor  of  the  lake  ! 

"  The  land  rose  in  swells,  covered  with  black  spruce  all 
about.  I  was  down  in  a  valley. 

"  You  see,  that  wasn't  Bose-buck  that  I  saw  from  the 
first  tree.  I  was  turned  round  then.  Instead  of  Bose- 
buck,  it  was  old  Birch-board  mountain,  away  up  toward 
the  Canada  line. 

"  But  I  wasn't  certain  of  any  thing  now.  I  got  down 
out  of  the  tree.  My  head  began  to  whirl,  and  the  stran- 
gest feelings  came  over  me.  There  was  a  brook  in  the  val- 
ley. I  got  down  and  drank  from  it,  and  bathed  my  fore- 
head. 


246  CIRCLING. 

"  That  brook,  I  suppose,  must  have  run  out  into  the 
Magalloway.  If  I  had  had  sense  enough  to  follow  the 
brook,  I  should  have  come  out  upon  the  river ;  but  I 
never  thought  of  it,  I  was  so  confused. 

"  I  got  up  from  the  brook,  and  started  the  way  it  seemed 
to  me  the  camp  was,  and  ran  just  as  fast  as  I  could.  I 
must  have  lost  my  gum-sack  about  that  time  ;  but  I  didn't 
know  when  I  lost  it.  On  I  went ;  and  the  first  thing  I 
knew,  I  was  whispering  and  jabbering  to  myself.  My 
head  began  to  ache  as  if  it  would  split. 

"All  at  once  I  came  to  a  brook,  took  a  drink,  and 
stuck  my  head  in  the  water ;  then  jumped  across,  and  ran 
on  again  as  fast  as  I  could ;  and  in  about  fifteen  minutes 
I  came  to  another  brook,  just  about  as  big  as  the  other 
one,  drank,  and  ran  on  again  ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  came 
to  still  another  brook !  And  though  I  had  drunk  not  ten 
minutes  before,  I  was  so  parched  with  thirst,  that  I  flung 
myself  down  to  drink  again. 

"  As  I  was  getting  up,  I  saw  a  boot-track  in  the  wet 
gravel  and  sand.  I  thought  for  a  moment  that  I  must  be 
near  where  some  of  you  were,  or  had  passed.  But,  on 
looking  again,  I  saw  the  mark  of  my  iron  button  in  the 
heel :  it  was  my  own  track  I  All  those  brooks  I  had  been 
coming  to  were  the  same.  I  had  been  running  right 
round  and  round ;  and  the  last  time  I  had  come  around 
to  the  same  place  exactly  where  I  had  jumped  across  the 
brook  before. 

"  That  thing  scared  me  worse  still.     I  was  getting  wild. 


ANIMAL   ON    HIS   TRACK.  247 

I  pulled  my  coat  off  and  climbed  another  tree,  —  a  large 
ash.  But  a  mist  had  begun  to  fall ;  and  it  had  grown  so 
dusk,  that  I  could  not  see  much.  I  got  down,  and  started 
on,  with  my  back  to  the  brook ;  and  every  large  tree  I 
passed  I  gave  it  a  '  spot '  with  the  hatchet ;  and  that,  or 
something  else,  kept  me  from  circling,  for  I  did  not  come 
to  the  brook  again. 

"  I  think,  perhaps,  that  I  had  gone  three  or  four  miles 
from  this  brook  when  I  heard  a  twig  snap  behind  me.  I 
looked  round,  and  could  just  make  out  something  in  the 
dusk,  seven  or  eight  rods  away.  I  had  raced  about  so 
much,  that  some  creature  had  got  on  my  track.  I  was  so 
desperate  and  wild,  that  at  first  I  did  not  care  for  it.  But 
I  kept  looking  back,  and  the  more  I  thought  of  it  the 
more  alarmed  I  grew ;  for  I  knew  that  after  it  got  dark 
the  beast  might  spring  upon  me,  and  that  I  ought  to  build 
a  fire. 

I  had  matches  in  my  pocket ;  and  the  next  pine  stump 
I  came  to  I  split  off  a  lot  of  shivers  with  my  hatchet,  and 
kindled  a  blaze. 

"  As  soon  as  I  got  a  light  started,  I  could  not  see  about 
me  as  before.  But  every  few  moments  I  could  hear  the 
snap  of  some  dry  branch,  now  on  one  side,  and  then  on 
the  other.  The  animal  was  hanging  about,  —  walking 
round  the  fire.  That  was  not  a  very  pleasant  thing  to 
know.  I  had  no  idea  what  it  was.  I  sat  down  between 
the  fire  and  the  stump,  and  hewed  off  splinters  to  keep  the 
blaze  bright,  and  cut  up  a  small  sapling  of  white  birch  to 


248  A   DREARY   NIGHT. 

make  brands ;  so  that  after  that,  whenever  I  heard  the 
brute's  step  off  in  the  brush,  I  would  let  a  brand  fly  in 
that  direction. 

"  Two  or  three  times  I  heard  it  jump  aside  when  the 
brands  fell  near  it ;  and  once  I  thought  that  I  heard  it 
snarl. 

"  Two  or  three  hours  passed.  Despite  my  fear  of  the 
prowling  animal,  I  began  to  grow  very  drowsy  from  fa- 
tigue. I  had  several  bushels  of  chips  cut  off ;  and  I  now 
placed  my  back  to  the  stump,  and  stretched  my  feet  out 
to  the  fire.  Every  few  minutes  I  would  throw  on  a  hand- 
ful of  the  dry  chips.  I  must  have  dropped  asleep  while 
sitting  there ;  for  suddenly  I  jumped  to  my  feet.  The  fire 
was  nearly  gone  out ;  and  I  had  a  glimpse  of  a  wild,  fero- 
cious head,  with  gleaming  eyes,  scarcely  a  rod  away,  that 
drew  back  into  the  darkness  as  I  stirred.  The  beast  was 
stealing  upon  me. 

"  This  startled  me  so  much,  that  I  did  not  go  to  sleep 
again.  It  was  cold  too.  A  good  deal  of  hail  and  snow 
sifted  down  through  the  tops  of  the  spruces.  It  rattled 
drearily  among  the  branches,  and  fell  into  the  blaze  of 
my  chip-fire  with  spiteful  hisses. 

"  Once  after  this,  when  the  fire  had  waned  a  little,  I 
heard  the  animal  not  far  off ;  but  as  I  immediately  threw 
on  more  chips,  and  thumped  lustily  on  the  stump  with  the 
hatchet,  it  did  not  approach  nearer ;  and,  during  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  night,  it  must  have  gone  away,  for  I  heard 
nothing  more  of  it ;  and  when,  at  length,  day  broke,  it 


DISCOVERY  OF   THE   CAMP.  249 

was  nowhere  in  sight.  There  was,  however,  a  beaten  path 
of  tracks  in  the  snow  and  hail  around  the  stump  and  fire, 
at  a  distance  of  about  a  hundred  feet.  Some  of  these 
were  nearly  as  large  .as  the  print  of  my  hand  in  the  snow. 

"  As  soon  as  it  had  got  fairly  light,  I  started  forward 
again  with  my  back  to  the  lightened  east,  for  I  supposed 
that  our  camp  must  be  to  the  west  of  where  I  then  was. 

"  To  appease  my  hunger,  I  chewed  a  great  quid  of  gum, 
which  I  dug  from  a  spruce.  But  I  felt  very  weak,  and  had 
to  stop  often  and  lean  against  a  tree  to  rest  myself. 

"  During  the  forenoon  I  crossed  a  large  brook,  by  wad- 
ing through  it  at  a  place  where  the  bottom  was  sandy,  and 
then  continued  on  for  an  hour  or  two  beyond  it,  when  it 
occurred  to  me  that  this  great  brook  might  be  the  upper 
course  of  the  Magalloway.  The  more  I  thought  about  it, 
the  more  certain  I  felt  of  it.  So  I  tacked,  and  took 
a  direction  which  I  believed  would  bring  me  back  to  it 
at  a  point  considerably  below  where  I  had  crossed  it.  I 
did  not  come  to  it  so  soon  as  I  had  expected,  however. 

"  The  afternoon  was  passing.  I  grew  bewildered  again, 
and  soon  got  as  wild  and  feverish  as  I  had  felt  the  night 
before. 

"  In  this  way  I  wandered  on  for  two  hours  or  over ;  and 
it  had  begun  to  grow  dark  again,  when  I  caught  sight  of 
your  fire,  and  came  out  to  the  camp  and  the  river." 

Such  was  Fred's  story  of  his  "  two-hundred-mile  "  tramp. 

It  was  nearly  a  week  before  he  was  strong  enough  to  go 
out  with  us  into  the  woods  again. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Fred  Laid  up.  —  A  Solemn  Promise.  —  Our  Gum  at "  Sunday  Pond."  — 
Another  Mink.  —  The  Big  Trap,  Gone  again.  — A  Den.  —Punched 
out. —The  Chase. —A  "Fisher:"  Description  of  the  Animal.— 
An  Alarm.  —  A  Supposed  "  Cannuck."  —  Strange  Antics. — A  Raw- 
pork  Eater.  —  "  The  Devil  Himself !  "  —  We  Grow  Superstitious.  — 
Storiesof"  Woods-Demons." — Fred's  Ideas.  —  We  are  thoroughly 
Puzzled.  —  Rather  Nightmarish. 

WE  made  a  solemn  promise  then  and  there  never 
to  lose  sight  of  each  other  again  while  off  in 
the  woods.  And,  indeed,  there  cannot  too  much  care  be 
used. 

During  this  following  week,  Farr  and  I  gummed  alone : 
Scott,  by  voluntary  offer,  remaining  at  camp  with  Fred. 

Saturday  we  varied  the  programme,  by  going  down  the 
lake  into  Bose-buck  Cove  with  the  bateau,  and  thence 
down  to  Sunday  Pond  to  our  old  den  at  the  lower  end  of 
it,  in  order  to  get  the  gum  and  other  property  left  there. 

While  we  were  down  there,  we  had  dug  what  we  esti- 
mated at  twenty  three  or  four  pounds.  And  for  five  days 
that  week  we  brought  in  what  we  called  six  pounds  apiece 
each  day.  That  was  our  stint. 


THE   BIG   TRAP   GONE   AGAIN.  25 1 

We  dug  nothing  but  good  gum.  In  the  evening  we 
would  scrape  and  clean  it  nicely,  then  put  it  up  in  pack- 
ages or  boxes  made  of  birch-bark,  strongly  sewed  together 
with  small  roots  of  spruce.  These  we  found  very  tough, 
though  pliant,  and  more  useful  for  our  purpose  than  the 
twigs  of  yellow  birch,  which  are  sometimes  made  use  of. 

These  long,  tough  spruce-roots  are  what  the  Indians 
use  for  sewing  their  canoes  and  for  winding  the  gunwales. 

We  used  to  go  over  occasionally  to  look  to  our  traps  at 
the  pond  we  had  discovered.  But  we  did  not  succeed  in 
entrapping  another  otter,  though  we  caught  one  mink. 

For  more  than  a  week,  too,  nothing  disturbed  the  large 
trap  in  the  bear-path.  Farr  and  I  had  got  sick  of  going 
over  to  it  for  nothing,  and  set  off,  determined  to  take  it 
up  and  have  done  with  the  bother  of  it,  when,  consider- 
ably to  our  surprise,  we  found  it  gone,  and  the  bait  we  had 
lavished  about  it  all  eaten  up. 

As  before,  we  had  attached  two  clogs  to  the  traps. 
These  made  a  very  distinct  trail,  which  we  followed  for  a 
mile  or  more,  to  the  foot  of  a  steep  ridgeside  to  the  north- 
ward. Here  a  large  spruce  had  blown  partially  over, 
raising  a  great  mass  of  earth,  scurf  "and  brush  with  the 
roots,  and  leaving  a  dark  hole  underneath  them.  The 
creature  with  the  trap  and  clogs  had  taken  refuge  here. 
Indeed,  the  cavity  was  large  enough  to  "  drive  in  a  flock 
of  sheep,"  as  Farr  described  it.  It  was  a  dark  hole  too. 
We  could  not  see  much  inside  it.  All  was  quiet  about  it, 
yet  we  did  not  care  to  get  too  near.  Whether  the  creature 


252  A   DEN. 

was  a  lynx,  a  bear,  or  a  panther,  was  not  certain,  though 
we  presumed  that  it  was  a  lynx. 

We  had  the  hatchet  with  us ;  and  with  this  Farr  cut  a 
long  pole,  —  twenty  feet  at  least,  —  and  began  to  prod 
inside,  to  stir  up  the  game.  To  the  first  three  or  four 
punches  there  was  no  response ;  but,  on  trying  the  other 
corner  of  the  den,  there  came  a  snarl  so  loud  and  vicious 
that  Farr  dropped  the  pole,  and  we  both  retreated  to  a 
safe  distance.  The  trap-chain  rattled.  Evidently  the 
game  was  alive  and  kicking. 

"  I  don't  see  how  we're  going  to  get  him  out,"  Farr  said, 
after  we  had  considered  the  situation. 

At  length  we  concluded  to  fire  under  the  root  at  a 
venture.  Taking  aim  at  what  seemed  to  me  the  probable 
nook  in  which  the  beast  was  lurking,  I  fired  first  one  barrel, 
then  the  second. 

The  only  effect  of  this  was  to  make  the  besieged  brute 
growl  ferociously. 

We  went  around  the  root,  and  beat  on  it  with  the  pole ; 
but  the  creature  would  not  run  out. 

We  discovered,  however,  that  the  mass  of  dirt  and 
dried  leaves  on  the  root  was  not  very  thick,  and  set  to 
work  to  dig  a  hole  through  it  on  the  back  side.  Cutting 
some  short  stakes,  which  Farr  sharpened  at  one  end, 
we  fell  to  tearing  away  the  earth,  and  at  length  got  a  small 
hole  through  into  the  cavity  beneath.  But  no  sooner  had 
our  stakes  broken  through,  than,  with  a  clank  and  rattle, 
the  animal  bounded  out  on  the  other  side  and  went  off  on 


PUNCHED    OUT. 


THE   ANIMAL   CAUGHT.  253 

a  leap,  jerking  the  trap  and  clogs  after  it.  It  was  as 
black  as  a  crow. 

{  A  bear ! "  I  exclaimed,  catching  up  the  gun. 

"  Too  small  for  a  bear,"  Farr  said. 

We  ran  on  after  it.  But,  even  encumbered  as  it  was,  it 
went  off  at  a  round  rate ;  and  we  should  have  had  a 
chase  to  come  up  with  it,  had  not  one  of  the  clogs  caught 
under  a  beech-root,  bringing  the  creature  up  short.  There 
it  hung,  springing  and  jerking,  till,  hearing  us  coming  up 
behind,  it  suddenly  turned,  facing  us  with  a  harsh  growl 
of  defiance. 

There  it  stood  at  bay,  its  eyes  flashing,  its  body  crouched 
close  to  the  ground,  its  short  ears  cocked,  and  the  long 
black  hair  along  its  back  standing  up  like  bristles.  It  was 
as  large  as  a  lynx,  but  had  short  legs. 

Farr  fired  at  it  with  a  heavy  load  of  buckshot.  It  went 
heels  over  head,  but  immediately  got  on  its  feet  again, 
wheezing  and  growling,  —  a  bloody  and  piteous  spectacle. 

Farr  then  stepped  up,  and  fired  the  second  barrel  full  at 
its  head.  It  fell,  but  kicked  a  long  while,  dying  very 
hard. 

It  was  about  the  same  weight  of  the  lynx. 

Farr  carried  the  carcass,  and  I  carried  the  trap. 

On  arriving  at  camp,  Fred  at  once  pronounced  it  to  be 
a  fisher,  or  fisher-cat  as  some  hunters  call  them,  —  an 
animal  of  the  weasel  family  (Mustela  Canadensis). 

The  creature  is  sometimes  spoken  of  by  naturalists  as 
Pennant's  marten.  Its  color  was  black  all  over  its  body, 


254  THE  LAKE  FROZEN  OVER. 

save  a  few  white  hairs  on  its  belly :  its  tail  was  rather  long 
and  shaggy.  Its  legs  were  remarkably  short,  but  stout : 
it  had  broad  feet,  and  sharp  black  claws.  Its  teeth  were 
as  long  and  sharp  as  those  of  the  lynx. 

For  its  skin  we  received  six  dollars  and  fifty  cents  at  our 
general  sale. 

It  came  on  very  cold  that  night.  The  stream  froze,  but 
there  was  too  much  wind  to  permit  of  the  lake  freezing. 
The  next  day,  too,  was  cold  and  chilling.  We  shivered  as 
we  gummed.  That  following  night  it  came  on  colder  still. 
Shortly  after  midnight  the  wind  lulled.  I  had  the  watch 
from  half-past  three  till  six  (morning).  It  was  stinging 
cold.  We  were  not  surprised,  as  day  broke,  to  see  that  the 
lake  had  "  skimmed  "  over. 

"  How  are  we  ever  going  to  get  out  if  the  lake  freezes 
up  ? "  Scott  queried. 

"  Oh  !  go  down  on  the  ice,"  Fred  said. 

"  But  how  about  our  boat  ? "  I  said. 

"  We'll  put  it  on  runners,"  Fred  laughed. 

We  were  glad  to  hear  him  laugh  again  ;  for  he  had  had 
a  sober  time  of  it. 

The  next  day  he  went  out  gumming  with  us  for  the  first 
time  since  his  misadventure. 

And  I  think  it  was  that  same  day  that  we  found  a  mink 
in  one  of  our  traps  up  at  Little  Boy's  Falls. 

The  weather  continuing  very  cold,  the  lake  froze  still 
harder,  till  it  was  like  a  huge  mirror  of  plate  glass  set  in 
its  black  shores. 


A   SUPPOSED   CANNUCK.  255 

It  was  a  grand  chance  for  skating,  —  if  we  had  had 
skates  and  the  time  for  it.  As  it  was,  we  gummed  on 
steadily. 

Our  food  was  three-quarters  moose-meat. 

Friday  night  of  that  same  week,  —  about  the  24th  of 
November  this  was,  —  Farr  called  me  up  a  few  minutes 
after  eleven  o'clock,  and  waked  Fred  at  the  same  time. 

"  There's  a '  Cannuck '  down  at  the  ox-camp,"  he  whis- 
pered to  us.  We  did  not  wake  Scott,  but,  taking  our 
guns,  went  out  with  Farr. 

There  was  a  moon  again  now  on  its  second  quarterage. 
It  was  just  setting  off  over  the  spruces,  but  threw  a  bright 
light  down  into  the  opening  below  us.  The  ox-camp  was 
plainly  visible,  so  also  the  space  about  it,  the  frozen 
stream,  and  the  blackened  ruins  of  the  burned  camp. 

We  looked,  but  saw  nothing. 

"  He's  gone  into  the  camp,"  Farr  said,  "  or  into  the 
grain-shed.  Hark ! " 

We  distinctly  heard  a  noise,  a  rattling  of  boards,  and  a 
sound  as  of  pounding  with  a  stone  or  a  hammer. 

"  He's  in  there  after  our  fur,"  I  suggested.  "  Thinks, v 
perhaps,  we  may  have  left  those  muskrat  skins  or  that 
lucivee's  hide  down  there." 

The  noise  continued  louder  than  ever. 

"  He  must  be  a  fool,"  Fred  said,  "  or  else  he  doesn't 
know  we  are  up  here.  He  must  know  that  such  a  racket 
as  that  would  wake  us  up." 

J3ump-bump!  pound-pound!  we  could  hear  him  knocking 
at  something  or  other. 


256  A   RAW-PORK   EATER. 

"  Well,  now,  he  isn't  a  bit  afraid  of  making  a  noise,  is 
he  ? "  exclaimed  Fred  wonderingly.  "  Just  as  lief  we 
would  know  he  is  breaking  in  there  as  not ! " 

It  struck  me  as  a  very  strange  performance.  We  could 
not  imagine  what  sort  of  job  he  was  at. 

"  You  don't  suppose  it's  a  trick  ? "  Fred  queried,  "  to  get 
us  out  after  him,  and  have  his  friends  rush  in  and  take  our 
camp?" 

"  Like  as  not,"  Farr  said. 

We  went  round  the  camp  inside  our  fence,  and  looked 
sharply  off  on  all  sides,  but  saw  nothing  of  any  lurking 
party.  Still  they  might  be  hidden  among  the  brush  in  the 
shadow. 

"  Let  him  pound,"  said  Fred :  "  we  will  stay  where  we 
are." 

On  a  sudden  the  man  came  out  of  the  grain-shed.  We 
watched  him  attentively.  He  came  along  to  where  there 
was  a  stump,  about  a  dozen  yards  from  the  shed-door.  He 
had  something  in  his  hands,  and  sat  himself  down  on  the 
stump. 

Pretty  quick — so  still  was  the  air — we  heard  a  sound 
of  smacking. 

"  He's  eating  something,"  Fred  said. 

He  was  certainly  eating.  We  could  now  see  him  raise 
a  considerable  piece  of  something  or  other,  and  tear  off 
mouthfuls  from  it. 

"  Did  we  leave  any  thing  fit  to  eat  down  there  ? "  I  said. 

"Nothing  there  but  that  barrel  of  'sprung'  pork,"  Fred 


A  SQUARE   MEAL.  257 

replied.  "  And  I  believe,  upon  my  soul,  he  has  broken  in 
the  head  of  that,  and  got  out  a  chunk  of  it.  That's  the 
noise  of  pounding  we  heard  ! " 

"  Must  be  hungry,"  said  Farr. 

"Hungry!  I  should  think  so,"  said  Fred.  "Why,  I 
would  as  soon  eat  carrion  as  to  eat  that  stinking  stuff 
raw ! " 

"  Well,  that's  what  he's  up  to,  sure  as  you're  born ! "  ex- 
claimed Farr.  "  Best  to  let  a  charge  of  shot  fly  at  him  ? " 

"No,"  said  Fred.  "Oh,  no!  he  is  welcome  to  that 
'sprung'  pork,  for  all  of  me." 

A  minute  later  the  moon  went  out  of  sight  altogether, 
behind  the  thick  green  tops ;  and  it  grew  too  dusk  to  even 
see  the  outline  of  a  man  so  far  (fifteen  or  twenty  rods). 
But  we  could  hear  smacking  going  on  for  fully  twenty 
minutes  longer.  The  fellow,  whoever  he  was,  was  clearly 
making  a  square  meal. 

Once,  some  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  subsequently,  we 
heard  the  crack  of  brush  on  the  farther  side  of  the  stream 
to  the  east  of  our  camp. 

"  He's  going  off,  I  guess,"  Farr  conjectured. 

We  sat  up  with  Farr  an  hour  longer,  I  think ;  then,  hear- 
ing nothing  more  of  the  mysterious  pork-eater,  we  turned 
in  again. 

The  next  morning  this  midnight  raw-pork  eater  was  the 
subject  of  conversation.  It  puzzled  us  completely.  We 
did  not  know  what  to  think, — unless  some  of  the  "  Can 
nncks  "  had  in  reality  got  starved  out. 


258  A   REGULAR   BOARDER. 

We  went  down  to  the  ox-camp,  and  found,  as  we  had 
suspected,  the  head  of  the  barrel  broken  in  with  one  of 
the  old  axes  lying  there.  Otherwise  the  hungry  man  had 
left  no  trace. 

Fred  was  on  guard-duty  that  day.  Farr,  Scott,  and  I 
gummed  on  the  hills  to  the  north-west  of  the  lake. 

There  was  a  snow-squall  near  sunset ;  but  the  evening 
cleared  up  pleasant,  with  a  broader  and  larger  moon.  I 
had  the  first  watch;  and,  at  about  ten  o'clock,  I  heard 
something  moving  through  the  bushes  and  brush  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river.  It  was  going  down  the  east  bank. 
I  watched  sharply ;  and,  a  few  moments  after,  saw  a  man 
come  out  on  the  ice,  and  cross  the  stream  at  a  point  directly 
opposite  the  ox-camp.  He  went  straight  to  the  grain-slied. 
We  had  fastened  the  door  with  a  nail.  But  the  man  broke 
it  open  readily  and  went  inside. 

Fred  and  Scott  had  not  yet  gone  to  sleep.  I  stepped 
into  our  camp  and  spoke  to  them. 

"  It's  the  same  one,  no  doubt,"  Fred  said,  "  come  back 
after  another  pork  supper." 

This  time  the  "hungry-man"  was  not  long  getting  what 
he  wanted.  Immediately  he  re-appeared  with  what  we 
took  to  be  a  piece  of  pork,  and,  going  to  his  old  perch  on 
the  stump,  began  to  eat  it. 

"Well,  doesn't  that  beat  the  Dutch?"  Fred  exclaimed. 

"  We've  got  him  for  a  regular  boarder,  or  rather,  Brown 
has,"  Scott  said. 

There  was   something  so  strange  about  this  unknown 


COMPLETELY    MYSTIFIED.  259 

person  and  his  habits,  that  we  felt  queer  as  we  watched 
him. 

"  He  has  no  gun  with  him,  no  weapon  of  any  kind," 
Fred  remarked. 

"  But  he  may  have  a  pistol,"  Scott  suggested. 

Yes,  he  might  have  a  pistel.  We  could  not  see  him 
plainly:  though  the  light  was  brighter  than  on  the  previous 
evening,  we  could  yet  do  little  but  make  out  the  form  and 
figure  of  an  ordinary-sized  man. 

After  eating  his  pork  he  sat  still  a  while,  then  got  up, 
stared  around  for  a  minute,  and  then  stretched  himself,  or 
at  least  seemed  to  do  so  ;  for  he  raised  his  arms  over  his 
head  in  a  slow  and  peculiar  manner. 

Pretty  quickly  he  turned,  and,  going  down  to  the  river, 
crossed  on  the  ice,  and  entered  the  bushes  on  the  farther 
bank.  We  heard  him  going  off  through  the  woods. 

We  watched  a  while.  Then  Fred  took  my  place,  for  it 
was  his  turn ;  Scott  and  I  went  to  bed. 

We  were  so  completely  mystified  as  to  this  strange 
person  and  his  movements,  that  we  did  not  now  like  to 
talk  of  him.  The  weird  singularity  of  his  comings  and 
goings  tormented  us  with  a  thousand  fancies. 

The  next  night  he  -came  a  little  after  eleven :  so  Farr 
reported  next  morning ;  he  had  not  thought  it  worth  while 
to  wake  the  rest  of  us. 

We  were  beginning  to  get  prodigiously  curious  to  know 
something  about  him. 

Said  Fred  at  breakfast  that  morning,  "I'm  bound  to 
find  out  who  and  what  he  is." 


260  WATCHING   FOR   THE   PORK-EATER. 

"  If  we  should  go  clown  there  when  he  is  there,  he  might 
fire  at  us  with  his  pistol,  or  draw  a  knife  on  us,"  Scott 
observed.  "  And  if  he  is  really  so  hungry  as  to  come  every 
night  after  that  raw  pork,  why,  I,  for  one,  do  not  grudge  it 
to  him,  though  perhaps  Brown  might,"  he  added  with  a 
laugh. 

"  Tell  you  what  we  might  do,  fellows,"  Farr  said.  "We 
might  hide  there  in  the  old  ox-camp.  Then  we  could  take 
a  square  look  at  him,  if  he  comes  again.  He  doesn't  go 
into  the  ox-camp  at  all :  he  makes  straight  for  the  pork- 
barrel  in  the  grain-shed." 

We  determined  to  do  it. 

That  day  I  recollect  that  we  got  a  marten,  and  found  a 
muskrat  in  one  of  our  musk  traps  down  at  the  dam. 

Farr,  Scott,  and  Fred  made  the  round  of  the  saple-line, 
and  gummed  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake.  I  was  on  guard- 
duty.  It  was  a  quiet  day.  My  comrades  did  not  get  in 
till  dusk  ;  and  it  was  after  eight  before  we  finished  supper 
and  had  skinned  our  fur.  Immediately  this  was  done, 
however,  we  loaded  the  guns  afresh ;  and  then  Fred  and 
Farr  and  I  went  down  to  the  ox-camp,  to  lie  in  wait  for 
our  nocturnal  visitor. 

Inside  the  old  camp  it  was  dark  as  pitch.  The  moon 
was  just  coming  up  over  the  tree-tops  as  we  went  down. 
Soon  'the  little  clearing  was  all  aglow  with  the  silvery 
radiance. 

We  set  an  old  grain-box  six  or  seven  feet  within  the 
door,  in  such  a  manner  that  one  sitting  on  it  could  see  out 


"THE  DEVIL  HIMSELF!"  261 

readily,  while  the  darkness  inside  the  closed  camp  would 
prevent  his  being  discovered  from  without.  On  this  long 
box  we  seated  ourselves  with  our  feet  hanging  off  it,  and 
began  our  vigils,  or  rather  I  should  say  that  Farr  and  I 
sat  on  the  box ;  for  Fred  stood  in  the  doorway  the  most  of 
the  time  on  the  lookout. 

An  hour  or  two  passed.  It  was  rather  chilly,  moping 
there.  But  our  curiosity  to  solve  the  mystery  kept  us  up 
to  the  mark  of  watching,  though  fully  another  hour  passed 
before  Fred  at  length  exclaimed,  "  He's  coming,  I  believe ! 
I  can  hear  the  brush  crack ! " 

Then  we  listened  intently.  Something  was  coming 
down  the  farther  bank  of  the  stream.  A  moment  after,  we 
saw  him  come  out  on  the  ice,  and  retreated  back  into  the 
darkness,  so  that  he  might  not  discover  us.  We  expected 
to  hear  his  steps  on  the  chips  before  the  camp,  but  we 
heard  not  a  sound  of  them  ;  and  the  form  of  the  man 
passed  suddenly  —  before  we  were  looking  for  it  —  into 
the  grain-shed,  without  our  getting  more  than  a  glimpse. 
So  we  drew  forward  as  near  the  door  as  we  dared,  and 
looked  for  him  to  come  out. 

We  could  hear  him  pulling  over  the  sopping  pork ;  and 
anon  he  emerged  and  went  directly  to  the  stump,  as  before. 
Instantly  I  -was  startled  by  his  odd  looks  ! 

"  Good  heavens !  "  Fred  whispered.  "  Tliafs  the  Devil 
himself !" 

His  hair,  as  we  could  now  distinguish,  was  long,  very 
long,  and  straggled  in  a  tangled  mane  all  over  his  face  and 


262  A   DISGUSTING   SPECTACLE. 

shoulders.  He  had  no  hat.  His  arms  were  bare,  as  high 
as  his  elbows,  where  began  the  tattered  sleeves  of  his  coat. 
His  feet  and  legs  were  bare,  too,  up  higher  than  his  knees, 
to  where  the  ragged  skirts  of  his  old  coat  covered  them. 
Indeed,  the  only  garment  he  seemed  to  have  on  was  that 
tattered  coat,  apparently  an  overcoat  in  its  day,  but  now 
hanging  in  rags  about  him. 

His  arms,  in  the  moonlight,  looked  brown  and  roughened. 
He  held  the  great  chunk  of  white  pork  in  his  black  hands, 
and  tore  at  it,  animal-like,  with  his  teeth ;  and,  as  he  ate, 
he  champed  like  a  hog ! 

A  strangely  queer  feeling  came  over  me  as  I  looked  at 
him :  I  felt  sick  at  heart.  It  was  a  spectacle  to  disgust 
the  intellect ! 

As  he  chewed  and  tore  at  the  meat,  his  long,  stringy  hair 
flew  about  his  face  ;  and  it  was  this  hair  that  added  so 
much  to  the  strangeness  of  his  mien. 

"  I  do  believe  it's  a  woman  !  "  Farr  whispered. 

"If  it  isn't  Old  Nick  himself,  I  shall  be  thankful,"  said 
Fred. 

"  You  don't  suppose  it  is  a  wild  man  ? "  I  whispered  to 
Farr. 

Farr  said  that  he  looked  wild  enough  for  that  or  any 
thing  else. 

He  sat  with  his  back  partially  to  us,  so  that  we  could 
not  get  a  good  view  of  his  face. 

After  he  had  devoured  the  pork,  he  went  off  as  he  had 
come. 


SUPERSTITIOUS   FEELINGS.  263 

We  went  back  up  to  camp  to  tell  Scott. 

"  I've  heard  stories  of  a  sort  of  woods-devil,  like  what 
we've  just  seen,"  Fred  said.     "The  lumbermen  and  'driv- 
ers '  are  always  telling  of   such  things.     I  supposed  they 
were  lying ;  but  I  begin  to  believe  them." 
'  "  Nonsense ! "  said  Scott.     "  I  don't." 

But  we  none  of  us  knew  what  to  think  of  it.  Strangely 
superstitious  feelings  crept  over  us  ;  the  more  we  thought 
of  it,  the  more  unsettled  we  felt :  it  was  like  a  nightmare. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

The  "Hungry  Man"  again. —Scott's  View  of  the  Case.— We 
Resolve  to  Catch  the  Prowler,  and  Lie  in  Wait  for  Him  in  the 
Ox-Camp.  —  Fred's  Reluctance.  —  We  Pounce  upon  Him.  — 
"Whooh!"  — A  Struggle.  — A  Race.  —  Another  Scuffle.  —  Slip- 
pery.—The  Escape.  —  Scanty  Apparel.  — That  Old  Coat. —  Prob- 
able Explanation  of  the  Mystery.  — The  Woods-Thieves  of  the 
Moose-River  Region. 

THE  next  night  the  "  hungry  man  "  came  at  a  little 
past  twelve.  Fred  had  the  watch.  He  waked  Fair. 

They  told  us  next  morning  that  they  had  set  out  to  fire 
at  him,  and  either  kill  him  or  scare  him  off. 

"  If  it's  the  Devil,  we  ought  to  kill  him!"  Fred  said ;  and 
this  shows  what  a  bad  hold  the  thing  had  taken  on  our 
minds. 

Scott  was  more  sensible. 

"That's  a  human  being,"  said  he,  "as  much  as  we  are. 
To  shoot  him  would  be  murder." 

Farr  said,  that,  if  it  was  a  human  being,  it  was  the  queer- 
est specimen  that  ever  he  saw ;  for  his  part,  he  believed  it 
to  be  a  woods-witch,  and  if  we  did  not  look  out  it  would 
bewitch  us. 

264 


SCOTT'S  VIEW  OF  THE  CASE.  265 

Scott  ridiculed  this  talk. 

"  Til  be  one  of  three  to  go  down  there  and  catch  him," 
said  he.  "  It's  some  poor  woodsman  who  has  got  lost, 
and  perhaps  turned  light-headed." 

Fred  admitted  that  he  had  heard  of  these  cases,  where 
men  had  got  lost  in  these  forests,  and  become  crazy  from 
wandering  about.  But  he  declared  that  he  did  not  care 
to  be  one  of  the  three  to  catch  him.  He  should  be  very 
loath  to  lay  hands  on  that  creature,  he  said :  should  be 
afraid  he  might  vanish,  leaving  a  smell  of  brimstone  be- 
hind him. 

"  Oh,  what  stuff  that  is  ! "  Scott  exclaimed  in  derision. 

Thus  we  talked  of  it. 

Of  one  thing  we  were  pretty  confident,  namely,  that  he 
had  no  weapons. 

The  next  night  Scott  tried  to  induce  us  to  go  and  help 
catch  the  man. 

"  If  he's  crazy,  wandering  about  here,  we  ought  to  do 
something  about  it,"  he  argued.  "By  and  by  he  will 
freeze  to  death,  as  the  weather  gets  colder." 

But  he  could  not  bring  Fred  or  Farr  to  see  it  in  that 
light  at  all. 

"  I  guess  he  will  manage  to  keep  warm"  Fred  would  say. 
"Looks  to  me  like  a  chap  that  would  not  have  any  diffi- 
culty in  finding  a  hot  brick  'most  any  time." 

"  Humph  I "  Scott  would  exclaim.  "  What's  the  use  to 
be  a  fool,  Fred  !  " 

Evidently  the  many  stories  that  Fred  had  heard  from 


266  A   RESOLVE   TO   CATCH   THE   PROWLER. 

the  lumbermen  had  not  been  without  some  effect  on  his 
mind.  He  declared  that  he  was  not  afraid  of  the  man, 
but  he  did  not  mean  to  interfere  with  him. 

Scott,  on  the  other  hand,  argued  that  it  was  our  duty  to 
find  out  what  ailed  this  person,  and  assist  him.  That  very 
evening  he  roasted  a  piece  of  moose-meat  in  the  oven, 
and,  taking  it  down  to  the  grain-shed,  hung  it  up  by  a  bit 
of  rope  directly  in  the  doorway.  It  was  his  watch  (the 
first  watch)  that  evening,  and  he  watched  till  one  o'clock 
(two  watches)  to  see  what  came  of  it. 

Next  morning  he  told  us,  that,  at  a  little  before  twelve, 
the  man  had  come ;  and  that,  on  espying  the  roast  meat 
hanging  there,  he  had  seized  upon  it  with  strange,  wild 
exclamations  of  what  Scott  took  for  delight. 

Fred  told  him  that  he  had  better  not  go  to  holding  com- 
munications with  the  Devil. 

But  Scott  now  gave  us  no  peace ;  and  during  the  next 
two  days,  first  I,  and  then  Farr,  agreed  to  help  him  catch 
the  unknown ;  and  at  length  Fred  consented  to  help. 

For  my  own  part,  I  had  by  this  time  very  little  fear  that 
it  was  a  supernatural  being ;  but  I  did  dread  to  touch  the 
poor  filthy  creature. 

Accordingly,  that  night,  at  ten  o'clock,  we  all  four  went 
down  to  the  ox-camp,  and  hid  ourselves  there  in  ambush, 
as  before.  And  this  time  we  did  not  have  long  to  wait. 
We  had  not  been  there  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  min- 
utes before  we  heard  him  coming  through  the  brush,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  stream. 


FRED'S  RELUCTANCE.  267 

"  He's  more  prompt  since  he  has  got  a  taste  of  your 
moose-meat,  Scott,"  Farr  said. 

The  strange  being  came  up  to  the  door  of  the  grain- 
shed,  looked  about  it  a  while,  then  went  inside.  We  held 
ourselves  in  readiness. 

"  Disappointed  that  he  didn't  find  one  of  your  moose- 
steaks  waiting  for  him  there,"  Farr  whispered. 

Presently  the  wretched  creature  came  out  with  a  piece 
of  pork,  and  sat  down  on  the  stump. 

Said  Fred,  "  I  had  rather  tackle  a  catamount  than  go 
near  him." 

"What  foolishness!"  Scott  whispered  back.  "The 
bare  fact  of  his  eating  that  pork  shows  that  he  is  human 
fast  enough." 

"  Don't  know  about  that,"  retorted  Fred.  "  Perhaps  he 
needs  it  to  grease  down  his  brimstone  with !  " 

"  Well,  come  on,"  Farr  whispered.  "  If  we  must,  we 
must.  Now  for  him !  " 

We  had  laid  down  our  guns  ;  and,  at  the  word,  made  a 
rush  at  the  unconscious  pork-eater.  But  I  must  needs 
confess,  that  we  did  it  with  no  great  alacrity.  I  think  that 
each  one  of  us  was  very  willing  that  some  of  the  rest 
should  be  the  first  to  lay  hold  of  him.  We  had  but  a  few 
yards  to  go,  and  were  upon  him  before  he  had  even  time 
to  turn.  Had  we  seized  him  pluckily  on  the  instant,  we 
should  have  held  him  beyond  doubt ;  but  we  all  held  back 
a  little. 

Up  leaped  the  unknown. 


268 


THE   STRUGGLE. 


"  Whooh  !  "  he  snorted.     "  Moon  tykes  !     Moon-tykes ! " 
"  Scott  seized  hold  of  him  ;  so  did  I,  and  so  did  Farr. 

But  the  man  whirled,  kicked,  and  struck  with  such  effect, 

that  he  threw  us  off  and  ran. 

But  now  that  our  blood  was  up,  and  we  were  fairly  into 


'  MOON-TYKES 


it,  we  gave  chase  hard  after  him,  —  Fred  ahead.  Down 
the  bank,  on  to  the  ice,  and  across  the  stream,  went  the 
"hungry  man,"  screaming  "Moon-tykes!  Moon-tykes!" 
at  every  leap.  Half  a  dozen  times  going  across  the  river, 


THE    ESCAPE.  269 

we  had  our  hands  on  him  —  almost.  The  opposite  bank 
was  three  or  four  feet  high,  and  set  thick  with  alders. 
Among  these  the  man  leaped  ;  but,  before  he  could  force 
his  way  through  them,  Fred  grabbed  him,  and  threw  him 
back  upon  the  ice.  We  all  lay  hold  of  him,  by  guess,  but 
it  was  slippery  as  glass  there.  Round  and  about  we  went, 
and  all  came  down  together  —  -wallop  !  I,  for  one,  had 
both  hands  fastened  into  that  old  coat,  and  held  on.  But 
the  coat  did  not  hold  the  wearer !  It  gave  way  like  brown 
paper.  The  pork-eater  jumped  out  of  it,  and  regained  his 
legs.  Fred  seized  one  ankle  ;  and  the  wretch  ran,  drag- 
ging Fred,  stomach  down,  on  the  ice.  His  bare  feet  stuck, 
while  our  boots  slipped.  Fred  said  that  the  man  kicked 
him  in  the  head,  and  for  that  reason  he  let  go  his  ankle. 
At  any  rate,  he  got  away,  and  ran  off  up  the  stream  for 
twenty  rods  or  more,  and  thence  into  the  woods  —  naked 
as  when  he  was  born  / 

"  I  guess  he  will  freeze  to  death  now ! "  said  Fred  as 
we  listened  to  his  departing  footsteps. 

Scott  was  disposed  to  blame  the  rest  of  us  for  not  hold- 
ing him. 

"  We  had  better  let  him  alone  than  used  him  in  this 
bungling  way,"  he  said. 

Farr  laughed  as  if  it  were  a  good  joke. 

We  hung  his  coat  up  on  the  alders,  so  that  if  he  ventured 
back  after  it  he  might  take  it. 

But  next  morning  there  hung  the  coat  1  I  went  down  to 
take  a  look  at  it  by  daylight. 


270  PROBABLE    EXPLANATION   OF   THE   MYSTERY. 

Of  all  the  coats  I  ever  set  eyes  on,  that  was  the  shock* 
ingest  one  !  It  was  a  mere  bunch  of  rags,  filthy  and  mal- 
odorous to  the  last  degree !  I  thought  that  it  might  ori- 
ginally have  been  of  black  tricot ;  but,  indeed,  it  was  hard 
telling  what  it  was  originally.  The  pockets  had  been  torn 
out,  or  worn  out,  long  previously.  There  wasn't  a  single 
button  on  it.  In  front  it  looked  as  if  it  had  been  tied 
together  with  strings. 

We  watched  the  following  night  from  ten  till  after  one. 
The  "  hungry  man  "  did  not  come ;  and  next  morning  there 
hung  his  coat  still.  We  never  saw  so  much  as  a  hair  of 
him  afterwards. 

Farr  said,  that,  as  he  had  nothing  to  wear,  he  was  prob- 
ably too  modest  to  pay  us  another  visit. 

Scott  regretted  the  way  the  affair  had  turned :  he  talked 
of  little  else  for  several  days. 

Three  nights  after,  the  old  coat  either  blew  away,  or 
else  the  owner  did  actually  come  after  it.  And  the  man 
may  even  have  come  back  to  the  grain-shed  after  more 
pork,  for  the  moon  did  not  now  rise  till  toward  morning, 
and  cloudy  weather  had  set  in.  As  to  who  or  what  he 
really  was,  we  never  knew  further  than  I  have  related. 

At  present  writing  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  was  a 
person  more  or  less  light-headed,  very  possibly  one  of  the 
"  Cannuck  "  gang  we  had  known  of,  whom  the  others  had 
unfeelingly  turned  adrift  to  shirk  for  himself.  The  exist- 
ence of  several  of  these  roving  gangs  is  a  well-ascertained 
fact.  Sometimes  they  have  plundered  the  fields,  and  stolen 


WOODS-THIEVES   OF   THE   MOOSE-RIVER   REGION.      271 

horses  from  the  pioneer  towns  and  plantations.  The 
Moose -river  settlement  were  seriously  troubled  by  a  party 
of  nine  of  these  woods-thieves  only  recently.  Six  or  seven 
horses  were  taken  ;  and  the  gang  was  dispersed  and  driven 
off  only  after  a  sharp  and  bloody  fight  with  the  citizens. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

A  Heavy  Snow-Storm.  —  Wet  Feet.  —  Moose-Skin  Moccasins. — A 
New  Branch  of  Business.  —  We  Fish  for  Trout  through  Holes  Cut 
in  the  Ice  on  the  Lake.  — Good  Luck.  — Some  Finny  Beauties.— 
What  Shall  we  Do  with  Them  ?  —  Fish  for  Market  —  Our  Fish-box. 
—  The  Trout  Continue  to  Bite.  — A  Grand  Haul.  —  A  Thaw. — 
Ominous  Sounds  from  the  Lake. 


A  FEW  days  later,  there  came  a  heavy  snow-storm  for 
.XJL.  the  season.  As  many  as  seven  or  eight  inches  fell 
in  one  night.  Our  boots  had  worn  almost  entirely  out. 
Scott  had  rubber  boots ;  but  the  rest  of  us  went  with  wet 
feet  for  three  days  in  succession.  We  took  cold  by  it,  and 
felt  miserable  enough. 

At  length  we  determined  to  sacrifice  one  of  our  moose- 
hides  and  make  it  into  moccasins.  This  we  did  ;  though 
they  were  not  of  any  particular  pattern,  being  mere  oblong 
pieces  of  the  hide  folded  over  our  old  boots,  hair  side  out, 
then  bound  tightly  around  our  ankles. 

Meantime  we  gummed  on  perseveringly ;  and  another 
week  passed. 

Quite  unexpectedly  we  now  struck  a  new  branch  of 
business.  I  think  it  was  Monday  night  of  that  week  that 


A   NEW   BRANCH   OF    BUSINESS.  273 

Fred  proposed  to  try  the  lake  for  trout,  through  holes  in 
the  ice.  There  were  trout  in  the  stream ;  and  he  did  not 
see  why  there  might  not  be  trout  in  the  lake. 

We  all  hailed  this  project  with  delight.  To  tell  the 
truth,  we  had  become  a  little  tired  of  gumming  so  steadily 
and  so  long.  A  change  of  business,  even  for  a  single  day, 
was  pleasing. 

The  next  morning  we  were  early  astir.  Farr  lamented 
that  fate  gave  him  the  duty  of  guarding  camp  that  day : 
the  rest  rejoiced,  I  fear. 

Directly  after  breakfast  we  got  out  our  stock  of  fish- 
hooks and  lines  (including  several  stout  hooks  we  had 
taken  from  the  "  Cannucks  "). 

"  What  shall  we  have  for  bait  ? "  Scott  questioned. 

"  Pork,"  said  Fred. 

"  Not  that  sprung  pork  ? " 

"  Yes :  they  will  not  mind  it." 

Farr  suggested  moose-meat. 

We  decided  to  take  both,  and  wrapped  up  a  generous 
chunk  of  each  in  one  of  the  "  Cannuck  "  waistcoats.  Then, 
providing  ourselves  with  a  couple  of  the  axes  to  cut  holes 
in  the  ice  with,  we  set  off. 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  take  something  to  bring  your  fish 
home  in  ? "  Farr  called  after  us.  "  Better  take  the  pail 
and  the  big  pot  I  " 

"  You  just  attend  to  your  duty,"  Fred  retorted :  "  we'll 
attend  to  the  fish.  We  don't  mean  to  tempt  Fortune  to 
disappoint  us  by  carrying  a  large  dish." 


274  CUTTING   FISHING-HOLES. 

"  You're  a  superstitious  fellow,  Fred,"  laughed  Scott. 

We  followed  down  the  stream  on  the  ice,  and  went  out 
on  the  lake  to  a  point  directly  between  the  first  and  sec- 
ond islands,  this  being  the  channel  of  the  river  in  its 
course  through  the  lakes. 

"  Guess  we'll  try  'em  here,"  Fred  said.  "  They  will  be 
more  likely  to  be  passing  back  and  forth  here  than  in 
dead  water." 

There  was  about  six  inches  of  snow  on  the  ice.  This 
we  scraped  aside ;  then  Fred  began  to  hack  through  the 
ice.  It  was  no  great  job  at  this  season.  The  ice  was  not 
over  four  inches  thick ;  later  in  the  winter,  —  February, 
say,  —  the  ice  would  be  found  nearly  a  yard  in  depth.  To 
cut  a  fishing-hole  would  then  be  a  task,  —  half  an  hour  of 
steady  chopping. 

Fred  cut  a  small  hole,  eight  inches  in  diameter. 

"  It  isn't  best  to  cut  a  too  big  one,"  he  said.  "  We 
don't  want  one  large  enough  to  let  ourselves  through; 
else,  if  we  should  hook  a  big  laker,  he  might  do  the  catch- 
ing part  himself.  That,  you  see,  would  not  be  pleasant." 

"  No,"  said  Scott,  "  I  should  think  not.  They  would 
soon  pick  a  fellow's  bones  clean,  those  big  trout,  if  he 
should  tumble  through  here." 

We  agreed  that  it  was  not  best  to  give  the  fish  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  too  big  hole. 

Meantime  I  had  cut  some  stout  alder  sticks,  about  two 
feet  in  length,  to  the  middle  of  which  we  made  fast  the 
ends  of  the  lines,  so  that,  if  dropped,  or  twitched  out  of  our 


FISHING   FOR  TROUT.  275 

hands,  they  might  not  be  lost  through  the  hole  into  the 
lake.  This  done,  Fred  cut  off  a  scrid  of  the  lean  moose- 
meat,  carefully  baited  his  hook,  and  dropped  it  in  at  the 
hole. 

Down  it  went,  five,  ten,  a  dozen  feet.  Then  he  began 
to  play  it  up  and  down,  after  the  manner  of  anglers  gen- 
erally. 

Scott  and  I  looked  on  expectantly.  A  minute  passed, 
and  no  bite. 

"  Aren't  hungry,  I  guess,"  Scott  said. 

"  Loss  of  appetite,"  I  hazarded. 

"  Froze  up,"  Fred  suggested. 

"  Gone  a-visiting,"  Scott  added. 

"  Moose-meat's  too  dark-colored,"  Fred  observed. 
"  Guess  I  will  try  the  pork.  That's  whiter.  See  it  better. 
Dark  down  there,  perhaps." 

He  was  drawing  up  the  hook,  when  there  came  a  smart 
and  most  unexpected  jerk.  Fred  jerked,  too,  and  then 
held  on. 

"  Got  him  ? "  we  cried. 

"Guess  so,"  said  Fred,  carefully  drawing  in  the  line. 
"  But  he  comes  easy  ! " 

All  at  once  he  did  not  come  so  easy  !  For  the  moment 
Fred  brought  the  fish  to  the  surface  it  made  a  sudden 
bolt  off  under  the  ice,  pulling  the  line  sharply  through 
Fred's  hands,  and  running  out  fully  fifteen  feet  of  it. 
Then  began  a  sharp  fight.  To  and  fro  went  the  strong 
fish,  right  and  left,  down  and  up,  making  the  water  fairly 
boil  in  the  hole. 


276  BROKE   HIS   LINE. 

"  Hold  him,  Fred ! "  we  exhorted. 

Fred  held  him  easily  enough ;  but  a  second  later  the 
fish  drew  the  line  against  the  sharp  edges  of  the  ice  on 
the  sides  of  the  hole  so  forcibly,  that  it  frayed  and 
snapped. 

"  Gone  ! "  Scott  cried  out  in  a  tone  of  anguish. 

"  Lost ! "  I  vociferated,  fairly  beside  myself  with  grief 
for  the  moment. 

"Gone,  sure,  hook  and  all,"  Fred  said,  examining  his 
hands  where  the  line  had  sawed  into  them. 

"  And  now  he  will  go  and  tell  all  the  others,"  groaned 
Scott. 

Fred  took  the  axe,  and  carefully  rounded  the  sharp 
edges  of  the  ice  around  the  hole. 

"  Ought  to  have  done  this  in  the  first  place,"  he  said. 

Then  we  prepared  another  line  ai^d  hook,  baiting  it  as 
before  with  moose-meat. 

It  had  not  gone  down  six  feet  before  it  was  taken  with 
a  smart  pull.  This  time  Fred  was  on  the  lookout,  and, 
drawing  the  line  quickly  up,  pulled  out  a  fine  large, 
speckled  trout,  without  giving  it  time  to  lunge  and  jerk. 
It  came  out  quivering  and  struggling,  the  light  flashing 
from  its  bright  red  spots. 

Swinging  off  from  the  hole,  we  let  it  flop  a  few  moments, 
then  unhooked  it,  and  left  it  to  die  in  the  snow.  It  was  a 
fine  trout,  and  would  have  weighed  two  pounds  and  a  half 
we  thought. 

"  Not  so  heavy  as  that  first  one,"  Fred  said. 


GOOD    LUCK.  277 

The  fishes  that  we  lose  are  the  heaviest  and  finest 
always. 

Hardly  had  the  hook  been  re-baited  and  dropped  in 
again  ere  a  third  took  it. 

"  If  he  told  them,  they  don't  heed  it,"  Fred  exclaimed. 


IT  CAME  OUT  QUIVERING  AND  STRUGGLING. 

"That's  the  fate  of  good  advice  usually,"  Scott 
remarked. 

This  third  fish  was  landed  as  quickly  as  the  second. 
It  was  not  quite  so  large. 

"  Going  to  have  a  streak  of  luck,"  Fred  prophesied. 


278  SOME    FINNY   BEAUTIES. 

"  Well,  Frank,"  said  Scott,  "  let  us  have  a  dab  at  it ! 
What's  the  use  to  let  Fred  have  all  the  fun  ?  " 

"  No  use  clearly." 

We  seized  the  axes,  and,  going  off  a  little  way,  began 
to  prepare  each  a  hole  for  himself,  into  which  we  soon 
dropped  our  own  hooks. 

In  a  very  few  moments  I  had  the  fun,  the  rare  sport, 
of  pulling  out  a  three-pounder,  —  the  biggest  one  caught 
thus  far ! 

I  recollect  the  next  two  hours  with  delight,  even  now. 
It  is  fun  to  fish,  when  they  bite  well,  and  the  mosquitoes 
do  not  bite  too  well.  And  we  found  Parmachenee  Lake  a 
rare  good  fishing-ground.  We  twitched  out  a  lot  of  them 
that  forenoon,  and  a  very  pretty  lot  too.  All,  save  three 
or  four  chivin  and  one  sucker,  were  speckled  trout,  weigh- 
ing from  a  pound  up  to  three  pounds  and  a  half.  One  we 
thought  would  have  weighed  four  pounds.  We  soon  had 
the  snow  about  the  holes  lively  with  their  frantic  leap- 
ings. 

Fred  caught  during  that  forenoon  thirty-one.  Scott  got 
nineteen,  and  I  got  twenty-three :  altogether,  seventy- 
three.  We  thought  that  they  would  weigh  near  a  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  At  any  rate,  there  were  about  as  many 
as  we  could  in  any  way  carry,  all  three  of  us.  We  strung 
them  on  large  alder  stringers,  and  went  toiling  back  to 
camp  under  the  weight  of  them. 

Farr  was  astonished. 

"  How  I  wish  I  co.uld  have  been  there  !  "  he  bewailed. 


WHAT  SHALL   WE   DO   WITH   THEM?  279 

We  fried  four  for  dinner,  rolling  them  in  meal  to  give 
them  a  good  brown  crust  They  were  delicious. 

"  What  fools  we  were  not  to  have  fished  there  before  ? " 
Scott  kept  reminding  us  as  we  ate. 

Toward  four  o'clock  we  went  down  again,  and  caught 
eleven  more.  ' 

"  I'm  going  to  feed  these  holes,"  Fred  said,  "  so  as  to 
draw  a  whole  school  of  fish  about  them." 

It  seemed  a  good  plan.  We  brought  down  a  great 
quantity  of  the  refuse  moose-meat  and  unpicked  bones  and 
dropped  them  into  the  holes,  —  to  draw  the  fish. 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  with  all  these  trout  ?  "  Scott  asked 
that  evening. 

"They're  worth  ten,  twenty,  and  sometimes  even  fifty 
cents  a  pound  in  the  cities,  —  these  speckled  trout,"  Fred 
said.  "  If  the  weather  holds  cold,  I  don't  see  why  we  can- 
not take  these  out  with  us  and  get  something  handsome 
for  them." 

Of  course  we  all  liked  that  idea. 

Forthwith  we  got  up  one  of  the  big  grain-boxes  from  the 
grain-shed,  and  began  to  pack  them  down  in  clean  snow. 

The  next  morning  we  fished  again  at  the  holes.  Farr 
tried  his  hand.  Fred  was  on  guard-duty.  We  caught 
twenty-four,  and  five  more  about  sunset. 

The  next  day  we  went  down  to  the  foot  of  the  lake,  — 
Fred  and  Farr  and  I,  —  and  cut  holes  near  where  the  outlet 
leaves  the. lake.  Here  we  caught  twenty-two,  or  about 
fifty  pounds  as  we  reckoned  it. 


280 


The  day  following,  the  other  three  boys  fished  both  at 
the  foot  and  the  head  of  the  lake  :  they  caught  seventeen. 

That  day  the  weather  began  to  moderate.  Towards 
night  it  came  on  cloudy.  It  looked  like  rain.  We  were 
in  jeopardy  about  our  fish,  lest  they  should  spoil.  We 
brought  snow,  and  buried  the  box  in  it  to  the  depth  of  two 
feet  or  over. 

The  next  morning  it  was  misty  and  wet.  During  the 
night  there  had  been  a  most  ominous  groaning  and  roaring 
of  the  air  beneath  the  ice  on  the  lake,  —  a  sure  sign  of  a 
thaw,  Fred  assured  us.  All  that  day  it  held  wet  and  warm. 
The  snow  melted  considerably.  But  we  kept  a  heap  of  it 
on  the  fish-box. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

Fears  for  the  Fish-box.  — The  Weather  Changes.  —  "  Let's  go  Home 
while  we  Can."  — Ice.  —  The  Bateau  on  Runners.  —  Off.  — Adieu 
to  our  Strong  Camp.  —  Down  the  Lake.  —  Cutting  our  Road.  — 
'On  the  Ice-bound  River.— A  Moose.— A  Marten.  —  A  Wolf  (?). 
—  Cold  Nights.  —  Civilization  once  more.  —  Pete.  —  Spencer's 
Bill.  —We  Reach  Upton.  —  Rather  Woodsey.  —  Bethel  again.  —We 
Sell  our  Furs.  —  Fred  Goes  to  Portland  with  our  Fish  and  Gum.  — 
A  Fair  Profit  —  The  "  Cannuck  "  Muskets  and  Revolvers.  —  Some 
New  Clothes  and  Eighty-seven  Dollars  apiece. 

r~p>HE  next  day  was  sloppier  still.  We  used  all  the  snow 
JL  around,  to  keep  our  box  buried,  and  even  cut  slabs  of 
ice  out  of  the  river.  That  night,  however,  about  one  o'clock, 
Fred  reported  a  change.  The  clouds  and  fog  broke  up ; 
the  wind  began  to  blow  from  the  north-west.  The  next 
morning  it  was  blowing  smartly,  and  the  damp  snow  and 
slosh  on  the  ice  was  beginning  to  freeze. 

"  There's  sure  to  be  a  hard  crust,"  Fred  said.     "  By 
to-morrow  it  will  be  gay  running." 

"And  that  means  Home!"  exclaimed  Farr. 

'Twas  a  unanimous  sentiment. 

•Si 


282  THE   BATEAU   ON   RUNNERS. 

"  Our  fish  won't  stand  another  thaw,  any  way,"  Fred 
said.  "  Let's  be  off." 

We  did  not  care  to  stay  longer,  and  run  the  risk  of  being 
blocked  in  by  a  three-feet  snow-storm.  Evidently  now 
was  our  time. 

We  fell  to  work  to  get  ready.  First  the  bateau  was  cut 
out  of  the  ice. 

"  Now,  how  can  this  be  best  turned  into  a  sledge  ?  "  was 
Scott's  question ;  and  it  was  something  of  a  question  with 
the  whole  of  us. 

Fred  went  out  and  cut  a  stick  of  green  white  ash,  twenty 
,feet  long.  This,  with  the  axes  and  with  wooden  wedges, 
he  split  in  halves,  for  the  runners.  Then  we  knocked  to 
pieces  one  of  the  old  grain-boxes,  to  get  nails.  Along  the 
flat  bottom  of  the  bateau  we  next  nailed  strips  of  hewn 
plank  from  the  ox-camp,  in  two  rows,  lengthwise,  and  upon 
these  we  nailed  the  ashen  runners,  turning  them  up  at 
the  nose  of  the  boat.  The  bottom  of  the  bateau  was  then 
raised  about  four  inches.  At  best  it  was  a  rather  rough 
contrivance,  but  we  could  not  then  do  better.  This  took 
till  afternoon. 

After  dinner  we  loaded  in  the  great  fish-box,  then  the 
gum,  next  the  fur,  and  afterwards  such  of  our  remaining 
provisions  as  we  might  need,  —  a  few  frozen  potatoes,  a  lit- 
tle meal,  some  of  the  moose-meat,  and  a  few  of  the  trout 
which  we  had  saved  out  of  the  box. 

That  night  we  kept  a  vigilant  watch,  lest  the  "  Can- 
nucks  "  should  come  and  steal  our  exposed  treasures. 


EN    ROUTE    FOR    HOME. 


ADIEU    TO    OUR    STRONG   CAMP.  283 

At  six  that  next  morning  we  ate  our  last  breakfast  at 
the  fortified  camp  on  the  knoll.  We  had  tea,  trout,  moose, 
corn-cake,  and  a  batch  of  Horsfords.  As  soon  as  it  was 
light  we  set  off. 

It  was  not  without  regrets  that  we  bade  adieu  to  our 
strong  camp,  where  we  had  done  sentinel  duty  for  so  many 
nights.  One  comes  to  love  a  place  which  he  has  to  fight 
to  hold. 

Long  before  sunrise  we  had  started  down  the  stream. 
A  faint  wreath  of  smoke  was  rising  from  out  the  funnel  of 
the  stove,  inside  the  fence,  as  we  moved  off.  Farr  even 
proposed  to  burn  up  the  camp,  that  it  might  not  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  "  Cannucks." 

The  tow-line  was  attached  double  to  the  nose  of  the 
bateau.  Fred  and  I  pulled  ;  while  Scott  and  Farr  pushed. 
Altogether,  it  must  have  weighed  near  half  a  ton.  But 
when  once  we  had  got  it  started  on  the  ice,  it  ran  almost 
of  itself. 

Instead  of  going  down  to  the  outlet,  we  went  directly  to 
the  foot  of  Bose-buck  Cove.  Here  we  arrived  a  few  min- 
utes before  nine.  From  this  point  we  had  determined  to 
cut  a  road  through  to  Sunday  Pond,  and  thence  out  to 
the  Little  Magalloway.  We  had  our  own  axe,  and  had  also 
taken  one  of  those  at  the  ox-camp,  for  this  purpose. 

From  the  bottom  of  the  Cove  to  Sunday  Pond  it  is 
about  two  miles.  By  carefully  choosing  our  path  where 
the  woods  were  not  very  thick,  we  avoided  the  cutting  of 
but  few  trees  larger  than  bushes.  But  it  was  laborious 


284  CUTTING   OUR   ROAD. 

work  to  drag  the  bateau  through.  It  took  all  our  strength. 
If  there  had  been  soft  snow,  we  should  never  have  got 
through.  We  were  all  the  rest  of  that  day  getting  down 
to  the  pond. 

That  night  we  camped  at  our  old  "  den  "  at  the  foot  of 
Sunday  Pond.  Tired  enough  we  were  too.  We  had  only 
our  tent,  and  such  boughs  as  we  could  cut,  for  a  shelter. 
We  lay  rather  cold. 

It  took  us  all  the  next  forenoon  to  get  down  to  the  Lit- 
tle Magalloway,  —  about  a  mile.  Here  we  built  a  fire,  and 
fried  moose-meat  and  potatoes. 

Once  on  the  river,  we  found  good  sledding.  The  slosh 
on  the  ice  had  frozen  hard  as  the  ice  itself.  We  had  no 
trouble  now  in  going  on  as  fast  as. we  could  comfortably 
walk.  A  little  later  we  came  to  the  junction  with  the 
Magalloway  proper,  and  during  the  afternoon  went  down 
through  "the  meadows." 

Here  it  was  that  we  again  saw  the  robins  eating  "  round- 
wood  "  berries. 

In  quite  a  number  of  places  there  was  open  water ;  but 
by  keeping  near  the  shore,  on  one  side  or  the  other,  we 
got  past  with  no  great  difficulty. 

That  night  we  camped  in  the  fir  woods,  on  the  bank,  at 
the  foot  of  "the  meadows."  Despite  a  large  fire,  we 
again  lay  pretty  cold. 

The  next  morning,  shortly  after  starting  off,  we  saw  and 
fired  at  a  moose  that  crossed  the  stream  at  some  distance 
ahead.  The  animal  ran  off  at  a  great  pace.  AST-  we  saw 


SPENCER'S  BILL.  285 

no  blood,  we  did  not  follow  the  trail.  That  day,  too,  we 
saw  a  marten  in  a  pine  at  a  little  distance  from  the  stream 
but  it  escaped  us ;  and  we  also  saw  either  a  large  gray  fox, 
or  else  it  was  a  wolf,  cross  the  river  about  twenty  rods  in 
advance  of  us. 

That  night  \ve  reached  the  head  of  Escohos  Carry.  Here 
we  camped. 

We  had  a  hard  forenoon's  job  dragging  our  load  over 
the  Carry  Road  next  day.  It  was  near  eleven  o'clock  when 
we  passed  "  Spoff's  "  (Mr.  Flint's).  In  consideration  of 
our  long  hair,  'coon-skin  coats,  moccasined  feet,  and  gen- 
erally dilapidated  condition,  we  had  hoped  to  keep  out  of 
sight  of  Mrs.  Flint.  But  I  saw  her  at  a  window,  laughing, 
as  we  toiled  past. 

"  Pete  "  came  out  and  shook  hands  with  us.  We  asked 
if  he  remembered  the  "  seventy-five  cent."  Plainly  he 
did. 

It  seemed  good,  and  odd  too,  to  get  out  among  civilized 
folks  again,  where  there  were  houses. 

Once  more  on  the  ice  below  the  falls  we  slid  on  at  a 
good  pace.  At  Spencer's  we  stopped  to  leave  the  axe 
and  settle  for  the  pork,  &c.,  we  had  taken  from  the  log- 
ging-camp. We  told  him  what  we  had  used.  Spencer 
said  four  dollars.  This  sum  we  promised  to  send  him, 
as  soon  as  we  should  dispose  of  our  fur ;  and  we  did 
so. 

Hurrying  on,  we  left  the  Magalloway,  at  its  union  with 


286  FRED   GOES   TO   PORTLAND. 

the  Androscoggin,  at  about  four  o'clock.  We  had 
expected  to  camp  here,  but  finally  concluded  to  push  on 
to  Upton,  twelve  miles  down  the  Umbagog.  This  was  far 
too  much  for  us".  We  were  fearfully  tired  when,  at  last, 
we  reached  Godwin's,  at  about  nine  in  the  evening.  We 
had  come  rising  twenty-seven  miles  that  day,  including 
the  "Carry  Road." 

They  laughed  well  at  our  woodsey  appearance  at  the 
Lake  House,  — most  of  all  that  black-eyed  table-girl.  But 
we  cared  for  none  of  these  things. 

From  Upton  to  Bethel  we  hired  our  property  drawn  on 
an  ox-sled.  Here  w.e  left  the  old  bateau. 

At  Bethel  we  sold  our  fur,  the  whole  of  it,  for  a  hundred 
and  twenty-six  dollars.  But,  as  there  was  here  no  market 
for  the  gum  and  the  fish,  we  freighted  it  to  Portland  by 
rail ;  and,  making  up  as  respectable  an  outfit  as  we  could 
from  our  united  wardrobe,  sent  Fred  on  with  it  to  dispose 
of  it.  The  rest  of  us  were  really  unpresentable. 

Fred  was  gone  three  days.  We  awaited  his  return  with 
considerable  anxiety,  passing  the  time  at  a  relative  of 
Farr's  living  there,  and  keeping  as  much  secluded  as  we 
could. 

On  the  third  evening  Fred  came  back.  He  had  sold 
the  trout  for  seventeen  cents  per  pound,  —  three  hundred 
and  thirteen  pounds  of  it.  And  foi  the  five  hundred  and 
seventy-six  pounds  of  gum,  he  had  got  two  hundred  and 
sixty-four  dollars  and  ninety-six  cents,  —  about  forty-six 
cents  per  pound. 


A   FAIR   PROFIT.  287 

We  received,  therefore,  for 

Fur $126  oo 

Trout   .         . 53  21 

Spruce  Gum 264  96 


Total $444  17 

Expenses  of  the  expedition  .        .  46  09 

Profit $398  08 


One  quarter  of  this       ....     $99  52 

Ninety-nine  dollars  apiece  was  about  what  we  had,  after 
paying  our  bills.  But  we  had  immediately  to  buy  some 
clothes,  before  even  going  home ;  so  that  the  sum  we 
actually  took  home  with  us  was  but  about  eighty-seven 
dollars. 

But  eighty-seven  dollars  went  a  good  way  with  us  in 
those  days.  It  paid  our  expenses  for  nearly  three  terms 
at  the  academy.  So,  on  the  whole,  we  deemed  the  venture 
a  success. 

The  old  "  Cannuck  "  muskets  and  revolver  we  sold  at 
Bethel,  for  seventeen  dollars  for  the  lot.  With  this  sum 
the  friend  who  had  loaned  us  the  little  rifle  expressed  him- 
self satisfied. 

On  arriving  home,  we  found  our  people  on  the  point  of 
sending  off  an  expedition  in  search  of  us.  It  was  long 
before  we  outgrew  the  nickname  of  "  The  Young  Moose- 
hunters." 


288  WELL-EARNED   SUCCESS. 

Such  were  our  fortunes.  We  would  not  confidently 
recommend  a  similar  trip  to  any  youthful  party.  Yet  our 
well-earned  success  shows  what  perseverance  will  do  with 
necessity  pinching  hard. 


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